CHICAGO- United Airlines (UA) has pursued a $21,926 cost claim against a former flight attendant who lost a disability discrimination lawsuit filed after the carrier terminated her following a serious injury during a crew layover.
The ex-crew member, Yihsing Tien, who served UA for nearly six years before her unexpected termination in 2022, now faces a legal battle over whether she should be forced to pay the airline’s legal expenses.
A California district court recently agreed to fully review the taxation of costs order after Tien argued the payment would cause severe financial hardship.
As reported by PYOK, the case has drawn attention to the disparity between United Airlines (UA), which reported $59.1 billion in operating revenue in fiscal year 2025, and a now-unemployed former employee being asked to pay roughly 0.000037% of that figure.
United Attendant Injured During Crew Layover Faces Termination
Yihsing Tien joined United Airlines as a flight attendant in 2013. During her tenure, she maintained a clean disciplinary record and was considered a high-performing crew member.
In late 2018, Tien suffered a serious fall at a crew layover hotel, injuring both knees, her left elbow, left shoulder, and left wrist. The injuries required surgery, and she was placed on medical leave to recover.
According to her complaint, Tien received a letter from United Airlines stating she had been granted medical leave until the end of January 2023. However, the date on this letter was incorrect.
Under the UA flight attendant contract, the maximum leave of absence was three years, meaning her actual deadline to return was the end of January 2022.
Tien says United never contacted her during her leave to discuss any path back to work. Her first communication from the airline came in January 2022, when she received a termination letter.
United Rejects Appeal, Says Employee Should Have Done the Math
Tien appealed the decision, arguing that had she known the correct leave expiry date, she could have attempted to return to work or sought reasonable accommodations.
United Airlines dismissed her appeal, stating she should have been able to calculate the three-year leave period on her own, regardless of the incorrect date on the letter.
Tien then filed a lawsuit in a California district court, alleging disability discrimination and retaliation. The court, however, sided with United and dismissed the case because Tien had failed to properly state a claim.
Airline Moves To Recover Legal Costs
After the lawsuit was dismissed, United Airlines moved to recover its legal costs from Tien. The court initially taxed costs at $21,926 against her. Tien, who remains unemployed, challenged the cost order.
On her first appeal, the clerk of the court reduced the amount to $12,516. Tien appealed again, arguing that even the reduced sum would impose severe financial hardship.
Last week, Judge Jeffrey White ruled that the taxation of costs should undergo a full review. The judge approved Tien’s application, citing her limited means, the public interest reflected in the litigation, and the risk of discouraging important civil rights cases.
Legal Team Highlights Strength of Original Claims
In a recent court filing, attorneys representing the 51-year-old former flight attendant emphasized that her case was far from frivolous. Five of her nine causes of action survived United’s motion to dismiss.
Her legal team argued the case ultimately turned on narrow factual distinctions rather than any fundamental legal weakness. United’s reliance on the collective bargaining agreement proved decisive in what was described as a close and contested record.
The filing also put the cost dispute in financial perspective, noting that the $21,926 United seeks represents approximately 0.000037% of the airline’s $59.1 billion annual revenue, an amount described as the financial equivalent of a rounding error for a corporation of that scale.
The court will now conduct a full review of whether Tien should be required to pay any of United’s legal costs.
The outcome could set an important precedent for how courts handle cost recovery in civil rights cases where an individual plaintiff of limited means faces a large corporate defendant.
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