Gwyneth Paltrow accused of 'skiing out of control' in 'hit and run' trial
Gwyneth Paltrow caused a skiing crash that left a man with brain injuries and "bolted" down the slope as he lay stricken, a court heard.
Terry Sanderson, 76, alleges that the "reckless" Hollywood actress ploughed "blindly" into him on a run at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, in 2016.
The retired optometrist is seeking damages of $300,000 (£246,000) for "a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries" in a civil lawsuit.
Paltrow – who has filed a counter-claim, seeking legal fees and damages of $1 (82p) – was in court today as the case began.
Gwyneth Paltrow in court on Tuesday (COURT TV)It's scheduled to last eight days and Paltrow is expected to testify.
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According to Sanderson's lawsuit: "Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control, knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.
"Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured.”
Sanderson is suing the Oscar winner as he alleges the accident in Park City was due to her negligence.
He also claims the incident left him with physical injuries and emotional distress.
On the first day Lawrence Buhler, representing Terry Sanderson, called Paltrow's behaviour at the time "reckless".
He began: "Ladies and gentlemen…distracted skiers cause crashes, defendant Gwyneth Paltrow knew that looking up the mountain and to the side while skiing down the mountain was dangerous.
"(She) was looking somewhere else blindly skiing down an mountain while looking up…(this) was reckless."
He also claimed to the jury that the actress’ "neglect and conscious choices" are said to have caused Mr Sanderson "four broken ribs and permanent brain damage".
The case surrounds an alleged incident in 2016 (COURT TV)Stephen Owens, representing Paltrow, said the actress was a "conservative" skier who was "freaked out" when she had collided with Mr Sanderson.
Mr Owens told the jurors: "She’s skiing, enjoying herself and suddenly she sees two skis appear between her skis and a man comes up right behind her.
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"They’re not going fast…(Mr Sanderson) comes up almost body to body and starts groaning.
"She doesn’t know what’s going on… she’s moving forward, they begin falling to the right and she’s feeling freaked out."
He described how Paltrow had attempted to pull away from Mr Sanderson, which caused him to fall.
Mr Owens went on to note that that Mr Sanderson had been struggling with vision and hearing problems at the time of the incident and had previously told doctors that he was "feeling old suddenly".
He added: "You’ll never hear the words hit and run. This was not a hit and run. The plaintiff even had a ski expert evaluate it and he said it’s not a hit and run – take that out of your mind."
Park City, where the alleged incident took place, hosts the annual Sundance Film Festival, which brings in a host of celebrities each year.
Gwyneth Paltrow has counterclaimed the case against her (COURT TV)At ski resorts, a skier who is travelling downhill has the right of way. That leaves a big question being which of the parties was furthest down the beginner's run when the collision transpired.
Both Paltrow and Sanderson claim in court filings that they were further downhill when the other rammed into them.
Sanderson also accused Deer Valley and its employees of engaging in a "cover-up" by not providing complete information on incident reports and not following resort safety policies.
Paltrow, meanwhile, has filed a counterclaim and is seeking attorney fees and $1 (82p) in damages.
The actress claims it was actually Sanderson who was the cause of the collision and believes he has overstated his injuries in a bid to exploit her celebrity and wealth.
In court filings, the actress' attorneys deny Sanderson's claims and allege that he was the one who crashed into her - a collision in which she sustained a "full body blow".
Her counterclaim alleges that members of Paltrow's group checked on Sanderson, and he told them he was ok.
This has led to doubt being cast on his motive and claims of injury with her claim noting that before the incident, he had 15 documented medical conditions.
In a 2019 court filing, Paltrow's attorneys wrote: "He demanded Ms Paltrow pay him millions. If she did not pay, she would face negative publicity resulting from his allegations."
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