Actor and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow will appear in court next week to testify in a civil case filed by a retired optometrist claiming she caused him serious injury in a 2016 ski accident, as per numerous reports.
Terry Sanderson has accused Paltrow, 50, of negligence and is suing for US$300,000 (about $410,000). He alleged the Goop founder collided with him while skiing at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out.”
In the complaint filed in 2019, Sanderson, 76, said the accident left him with “permanent traumatic brain injury, 4 broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life.” He maintains that Paltrow left him collapsed on the slope and skied away.
In a counterclaim, Paltrow said Sanderson skied into her in a “full body hit,” giving her minor injuries that prevented her from skiing the next day. She claims he apologized to her after the accident.
Paltrow said she only left the scene of the accident after a Deer Valley Resort employee gave confirmation she could depart.
She also alleged Sanderson has said before that he does not have a clear memory of the accident.
In 2019, Sanderson classified the accident as a hit-and-run but that was later struck down by a judge. Any mention of incidences after the collision — including an allegation from Sanderson that a resort employee who did not witness the crash skied off and accused Sanderson of being responsible for the accident — were also disallowed.
Sanderson’s original lawsuit sought $3.1 million in damages.
In her counterclaim, Paltrow is seeking only $1 in damages (a symbolic gesture), and capital for her lawyer’s fees.
The trial is set to begin on March 21 in Utah. To win the civil suit, Sanderson must demonstrate the burden of proof and prove his injuries were directly caused by the ski collision.
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