PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow will go to trial Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who claims the actress-turned-lifestyle influencer crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at a among the top ones. -rated ski resorts in the United States.
Terry Sanderson, 76, said Paltrow was riding down the slopes so recklessly that they collided, knocking him to the ground as she and her entourage continued their descent to Deer Valley Resort, a ski-only mountain , she notes, for its well-kept trails, after-care. champagne yurts and elegant clientele.
“Gwyneth Paltrow went out of control,” Sanderson’s lawyers say in the lawsuit, “forced him to the ground, knocked him down and caused him a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries. Paltrow stood up, turned and walked away, leaving a dazed Sanderson lying in the snow, badly injured.”
In a case that has dragged on for years since the 2016 accident, Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000, claiming the Park City accident was the result of negligence and left him with physical injuries and emotional distress.
At ski resorts, the downhill skier has the right of way, so a central question in the case is who was further down the beginner’s slope when the collision occurred. Both Paltrow and Sanderson claim in court that they were down when the other entered them.
Sanderson also accused Deer Valley and its employees of engaging in a “snitch” by failing to provide complete information on incident reports and failing to follow the resort’s safety policies.
After his original lawsuit seeking $3.1 million was dismissed, Sanderson amended the complaint and is now seeking $300,000. Paltrow — the Oscar-winning actress best known for her roles in “Shakespeare in Love” and Marvel’s “Iron Man” movies — filed a counterclaim in response, seeking attorneys’ fees and $1 in damages.
Paltrow countered that he was actually at fault for the collision, exaggerating his injuries and trying to exploit his fame and fortune. In addition to her acting career, she is also the founder and CEO of the cutting-edge wellness company, goop.
In court documents, her lawyers deny Sanderson’s claims and say he was the one who crashed into her – a collision in which she suffered a “full-body impact”. Her counterclaim alleges that members of Paltrow’s group checked on Sanderson, who assured them she was fine. He questions his motive and injury claims, noting that prior to the accident, he had 15 documented medical conditions.
“He asked Ms. Paltrow to pay him millions. Had he not paid, he would have faced negative publicity from his allegations,” his lawyers wrote in a 2019 statement.
The trial in Park City is expected to last more than a week.
