Edit: Dialer One's release notes for v1.2 say that an issue was fixed regarding United States emergency numbers. Not sure if that pertains to this issue, though.
You do need to hack the firmware though to not be able to access the default dialer (which he had done).
I just tried on my phone: even if I install Dialer one, I can always go to all applications and run the default phone app.
Without the modified firmware, he could have realized the 3rd party dialer had a bug and immediately switched to the default in seconds.
Even at a more practical level, it's still practically impossible. At most you move the modding 'down the stack,' but that's hardly an insurmountable barrier, as modders have demonstrated time and time again.
There is a place for personal responsibility for the decisions one makes, and this is a great example.