Gwyneth Paltrow appears in court in Utah for a trial related to a ski accident in 2016
Gwyneth Paltrow watches as she leaves the courtroom in Park City, Utah, on Tuesday, where she is accused in a lawsuit of crashing into a skier in 2016 and leaving him with brain damage and four broken ribs.
Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in a Park City courtroom on Tuesday for the start of her trial in connection with a skiing accident in Utah in 2016.
Paltrow is accused of colliding with Terry Sanderson, causing multiple serious injuries, and then abandoning him on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort seven years ago.
The trial is being streamed live on YouTube.
Sanderson, a retired optometrist, filed the lawsuit three years after the mountainside collision. He has since claimed that the accident left him with a brain injury, four broken ribs, and emotional trauma. Sanderson also claimed Paltrow fled the scene without providing him with her name, contact information, or requesting assistance.
Sanderson’s solicitor, Lawrence Buhler, began opening arguments by saying, “Distracted skiers cause accidents. Defendant Gwyneth Paltrow was well aware that looking up and to the side while skiing down the mountain was dangerous.”
Sanderson’s claims that Paltrow bolted from the mountain after ramming into him, according to Paltrow’s solicitor Stephen Owens, were completely fabricated.
“We believe it is complete nonsense,” Owens said.
He also told the jury that Sanderson’s legal team bore the burden of proof in the case, not the actress.
“You’ll be sad for [Sanderson], but that’s not why you’re here. You’ve come to determine whether or not someone was negligent in colliding with someone “He made a note of it.
“There are inherent risks in skiing,” he added.
Sanderson sought $3.1 million in damages in an earlier version of the lawsuit, according to KSL.com. However, Third District Judge Kent Holmberg dismissed some of Sanderson’s claims against Paltrow in May 2022, ruling that it was not a “hit-and-run ski crash,” according to the news outlet. The 76-year-old is now suing for $300,000 in monetary damages.
Meanwhile, about a month after Sanderson, the Oscar-winning actress and entrepreneur filed her own countersuit. She recounted the day’s events, blaming him for the crash. He was uphill from her and her family when he ploughed into her back, delivering a “full body blow,” she said. Paltrow stated that she was upset with Sanderson, and he apologised.
Each party expects the other to pay for their legal fees. Paltrow is suing for $1 million in damages.
Although it is unclear whether Paltrow will testify, her solicitor has told the jury that some family members who were skiing with her at the time of the incident will testify.
