Pilot Files Lawsuit Against United Airlines Over Forced Rehab and Firing

Veteran captain alleges he was wrongly diagnosed with alcohol dependence.

Ryan Ewing

Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

United Airlines 737 Max 9 aircraft [Credit: AirlineGeeks/William Derrickson]

Key Takeaways:

A former United Airlines captain, Michael Tallon, has filed a federal lawsuit against United, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), and an Aviation Medical Examiner, alleging wrongful termination and medical mismanagement.
Tallon claims he was wrongly forced into a substance abuse program (HIMS) after suffering a head injury, despite reporting concussion symptoms and lacking any diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder.
He alleges that he was denied proper evaluation for his concussion and was terminated in early 2025 despite completing the mandatory HIMS program and receiving multiple clean medical evaluations.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, and requests court-ordered changes to United's HIMS program, citing violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other acts.

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A former United Airlines captain has filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging wrongful termination and medical mismanagement following a workplace head injury.

In a 22-page complaint filed on July 3, Michael Tallon accuses United, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), and Aviation Medical Examiner Dr. Robert Noven of discrimination, retaliation, and fraud. Tallon claims the defendants wrongly forced him into a substance abuse program after he suffered a head injury while on a layover in the Azores in June 2023.