Gwyneth Paltrow has traveled to Utah to sit in the dock. Tuesday began the trial that will determine whether the actress ran over and injured a man during a day of skiing in February 2016. The versions could not be more opposite. The victim, a retired optometrist, Terry Sanderson, 76 – he was 69 at the time of the accident – claims that the 50-year-old Hollywood star crashed into him and caused serious injuries, so which was initially asking for $3.1 million, which was lowered to $300,000. She says quite the opposite, that it was the man who knocked her down from behind and that, in the face of her discomfort, he even apologized.
In the lawsuit filed by the alleged victim, he states that while skiing at Deer Valley Resort, Paltrow “skied out of control, knocked him down hard, knocked him unconscious and caused him a brain injury, four broken ribs and other injuries serious”. Sanderson also claims that Paltrow and his ski instructor skied off after the crash without helping him get medical attention.
In the brief filed by the Goop founder, she was “having fun, skiing with her family, on vacation in Utah, when the plaintiff, who was at the top of the slope from Ms. Paltrow, went crash into his back. She received a full body blow. He got angry with the plaintiff, and said so. He apologized. She was shocked and upset, and she stopped skiing that day, even though it was still the morning part.” According to her lawyers, she is only seeking symbolic damages in the amount of one dollar, plus her attorneys’ legal fees for defending her against what she called a “baseless accusation.” Any other amount awarded by the court will be donated to charity.
The trial is being held in the Park City courtroom, which has a popular jury, and is expected to last at least a week. The first session began with the statements of the lawyers of both parties, who will try to prove that their client was not the cause of the dejection. In Utah, the law governing ski resorts states that people walking in front have the right of way; it is your responsibility to avoid them.
Sanderson explained at a press conference after filing the lawsuit that he signaled to the actress “to slow down, then I heard a hysterical scream right before the impact. It was instantaneous.” And he insists again: “They hit me on the back. It was as if he had pushed me.”
The counterclaim of the actress points out: “She didn’t make him fall. He knocked her down. He was not knocked out. Immediately after the collision, he stood up and addressed Ms. Paltrow. She expressed her upset that he bumped into her and he apologized. She did not cause the collision.” Court documents include the version of a ski instructor at the resort, who claims that Sanderson was further up the slope and crashed into Gwyneth Paltrow from behind.
