Gwyneth Paltrow could take the stand today in a trial over a 2016 ski accident between the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer and the retired optometrist who sued her and claimed her recklessness left him with permanent injuries and brain damage.
Terry Sanderson, 76, sued the Oscar-winning actress in January 2019, alleging that she crashed into him and left the scene of the beginner’s race at the exclusive Deer Valley resort in Utah on February 26, 2016.
The retired optometrist sought compensation of more than $3.1 million after the accident left him with “permanent traumatic brain injury, four broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and disfigurement.” . However, a judge threw out his original claim and he is now suing Paltrow for £300,000.
Today, on the second day of his trial, Sanderson’s lawyers said they expected to call four witnesses, including a radiologist and a neuropsychologist, to testify in today’s trial. They left the possibility that one could be Paltrow, depending on when the others who were hoping to testify in Park City arrive.
During the opening day of the trial yesterday, the court heard that Sanderson had reportedly sent his daughters a message after the incident saying “I’m famous.”
Gwyneth Paltrow (pictured in court yesterday) could take the stand today in a trial over a 2016 ski accident between the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer and the retired optometrist who sued her and claimed her recklessness left him with lasting injuries and brain damage.
Terry Sanderson, 76, sued the Oscar-winning actress in January 2019, alleging that she crashed into him and left the scene of the beginner’s race at the exclusive Deer Valley resort in Utah on February 26, 2016.
Pictured: Gwyneth Paltrow in a social media post the year before the accident at the Deer Valley resort in Utah. She captioned the post: ’20 years later and I still have it #justlikeridingabike’
Paltrow’s lawyer, Steve Owens, showed the jury an email supposedly sent by Sanderson to his daughters after the crash that included a link to a Facebook status reading “I’m famous!”
“He doesn’t post ‘I’m hurt,’ he doesn’t post confusing stuff,” Owens told the court. ‘Gwyneth was hurt by Mr Sanderson’s neglect…she is upset.
“Anyone who’s been hit is upset, she’s in pain, she’s never been to the doctor… but she shook herself here and hurt her physically.”
She said Paltrow had told her daughter that “some jerk” had bumped into her and that she had later gotten “mad” by choosing to finish skiing for the day.
Today, more witnesses are expected to be called to testify at the trial. Although the court will not release a witness list, attorneys said Wendell Gibby and Sam Goldstein, a radiologist and neuropsychologist, would likely be called to testify Wednesday.
Sanderson’s attorneys said they expected to call four witnesses in total on Wednesday and left open the possibility that one could be Paltrow, depending on when the other witnesses would arrive in Park City.
Gibby and Goldstein previously appeared as expert witnesses for Sanderson, who said he broke his ribs and suffered brain damage from the crash.
So far, lawyers have argued over whether Sanderson’s medical problems stemmed from the accident or were simply a byproduct of aging.
Both sides blame the other for the collision and claim they were rear-ended, based on a little-known Utah law that stipulates whoever is downhill has the right-of-way when skiing or snowboarding.
The trial for the incident at Deer Valley Resort (pictured) began yesterday in Park City District Court.
Paltrow appears in the courtroom Tuesday at the start of the trial.
Sanderson claims Paltrow descended the slopes so recklessly that they collided violently, knocking him to the ground as she and her entourage continued their descent down the skiers-only mountain known for its groomed slopes, champagne-filled après-ski yurts and posh clientele.
“All skiers know that when they’re skiing down a mountain, it’s their responsibility to yield the right-of-way to the skiers below them,” Sanderson’s attorney, Lawrence Buhler, who, unlike those selected for the Most trials, he walked into the courtroom smiling, likely due to his proximity to a major celebrity.
Buhler highlighted his client’s military service record and tried to appeal to the sympathy of the jury, describing the broken ribs and brain trauma Sanderson suffered during and after the accident.
Trying to establish a contrast, Buhler described Paltrow as a wealthy and experienced skier who adopted a ‘So what?’ attitude before the collision.
“She hires multiple ski instructors for her kids, allowing them to skip the lines. Private instructors cost thousands of dollars a day,” she said.
Paltrow’s lawyer has asked Judge Kent Holmberg to enact special restrictions during the actor-turned-welfare mogul’s trial, while she wore a blue notebook to shield her face as she entered and left the courtroom.
They called Sanderson’s story “complete BS” based on earlier claims from court documents and earlier depositions accusing him of suing to exploit the Oscar-winning “Shakespeare in Love” star’s wealth and celebrity.
Sanderson’s lawyers have so far attempted to paint her as a negligent celebrity with little care for the injuries inflicted on the 76-year-old military veteran. Sanderson’s ex-girlfriend and a ski buddy who was near her during the accident were called to testify Tuesday.
Craig Ramon, a friend of Sanderson’s who was skiing about 35 feet away at the time of the accident, said he heard a loud scream and saw the tips of Sanderson’s skis fly up, causing him to fall facedown onto the collision. .
He testified that Paltrow hit Sanderson, bouncing off his back and sliding to his right.
Paltrow’s ski instructor, a Deer Valley employee, came up moments later and said, “Your friend just took out Gwyneth Paltrow,” Ramon testified.
Paltrow’s attorney attempted to paint Ramon as a close friend of Sanderson’s by showing photos of him smiling quietly with other friends after the accident and mentioned, but did not investigate, an email chain with Sanderson’s family that suggested the collision was captured. with a GoPro. camera. The images have not been seen or included as part of the trial evidence.
Karlene Davidson said the accident had “changed” Sanderson and contributed to the demise of their romance. She said that in addition to her injuries, she noticed that her behavior changed after the accident.
He became more distant, and she said that she had “no joy left in life”, which led to the demise of their relationship.
Sanderson’s lawyers attributed the changes to the accident. Paltrow’s lawyers noted that the man had begun dating another woman shortly after their breakup.
Park City is a resort town in the Rocky Mountains that is home to the Sundance Film Festival, which draws celebrity crowds each year.
Paltrow and Sanderson agree they collided while running for beginners seven years ago, but both accuse the other of being at fault and skiing after them.
Paltrow has alleged that Sanderson is exaggerating his injuries and trying to exploit his celebrity and wealth. In addition to her acting career, she is also the founder and CEO of the wellness company Goop.
He demanded that Mrs. Paltrow pay him millions. If she did not pay, she would face negative publicity as a result of her allegations,” her attorneys wrote in a 2019 court filing.
The trial is expected to include testimony from numerous medical professionals and Paltrow’s sons, Moses and Apple.
Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000, alleging that the Park City accident was the result of negligence and left him with physical injuries and emotional distress. After the collision, Sanderson’s attorneys said his client went to the ER and to the emergency room.
On ski slopes, Utah law gives the downhill skier the right-of-way, so a central question in the case is who was further downhill when the collision occurred. Both Paltrow and Sanderson claim they were lower when the other crashed into them.
Both sides present their clients as conservative skiers who were stunned when a skier above them crashed into them.
Paltrow’s lawyers told jurors Tuesday that Sanderson was the one who collided with her, a collision in which she suffered what court documents called a “full body blow.”
Attorney Steve Owens said members of Paltrow’s group checked on Sanderson, who assured them he was fine, an interaction Sanderson does not deny, but said in court documents he cannot recall.
After his initial lawsuit seeking $3.1 million was dismissed, Sanderson amended the lawsuit and is now seeking $300,000. Paltrow, the Oscar-winning actress known for her roles in Marvel’s “Shakespeare in Love” and “Iron Man,” filed a countersuit, seeking attorneys’ fees and $1 in damages.
