'Reckless' Gwyneth Paltrow Caused Utah Ski Crash, Lawyer Says
A 'reckless' Gwyneth Paltrow caused Utah ski crash, according to the lawyer. A court heard that Gwyneth Paltrow was "distracted" when she crashed into a retired eye doctor on a ski slope, inflicting brain damage and breaking his ribs.
A lawyer for Terry Sanderson told a Utah jury that the collision on a slope in 2016 was caused by the Hollywood actress's "reckless" actions.
Ms. Paltrow's Counter-Suit And Opening Statements In Court
Ms. Paltrow has filed a counter-suit. Mr. Sanderson's claims are "complete BS," according to her lawyer. Mr Sanderson, 76, is suing for $300,000 (£245,000) in damages.
He dropped a previous $3.1 million claim. The counterclaim filed by the 50-year-old Oscar winner seeks $1 in damages plus legal fees.
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On the first day of the trial, the actress-turned-lifestyle-influencer sat motionless in court during opening statements in a Park City court on Tuesday.
Ms Paltrow was skiing with her family at the Deer Valley resort in February 2016 when the incident occurred. Her children and she are expected to testify. Lawrence Buhler, Mr. Sanderson's attorney said:
“„Distracted skiers cause crashes. She knew that skiing that way, blindly skiing down a mountain while looking up and to the side, was reckless; she knew that continuing to ski that way... she would crash into somebody below her.
- Lawrence Buhler
According to Mr. Buhler, Ms. Paltrow collided with his client and then quickly skied away, leaving him prone and unconscious without calling for help or checking to see if he was okay.
"Before this crash, Terry was a charming, outgoing, gregarious person," Mr. Sanderson's lawyer said.
"He was living a full life, traveling the world - doing everything possible to enjoy his life and guard his health. But after the crash, he's no longer charming."
Mr. Sanderson's claims, according to Ms. Paltrow's lawyer, are "utter BS."
He told the jury that his client had just started down the slope when a pair of skis appeared between her legs and a man collided with her back.
Mr Sanderson, who suffers from vision and hearing loss as a result of a previous stroke, may not have seen Ms Paltrow before colliding with her, according to Ms Paltrow's lawyer.
Inside Gwyneth Paltrow's Ski Crash Trial
Mr. Owens stated that his client initially suspected she was being assaulted and that the incident left her so shaken that she chose not to ski the rest of the day. He said:
“„She may have sworn at him. It rattled her and it physically hurt her.
- Mr. Owens
The case appears to hinge on which skier was uphill at the time of the accident, Ms. Paltrow or Mr. Sanderson. Skiers, according to Deer Valley safety policies, "ahead or downhill of you have the right of way. You must avoid them."
Craig Ramon, a friend of Mr Sanderson, was the first witness called in the case.
He stated that he heard a scream and turned around to see Ms. Paltrow collide with Mr. Sanderson.
However, during cross-examination, Ms. Paltrow's lawyers pointed out that Mr. Ramon is colorblind and could not have determined which skier caused the crash based solely on his or her clothing.
Ms. Paltrow's attorneys claim that GoPro footage and a social media post that support her version of events have "disappeared."
The original claim, filed in 2019, said: "This case involves a hit-and-run ski crash at Deer Valley, Utah, where defendant Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control and hit the back of Terry Sanderson, another skier, who was downhill, knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries." The proceedings are set to last eight days.
