Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in court Tuesday to stand trial for a 2016 ski collision at the upscale Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, that allegedly left an elderly man with multiple injuries.
The man, Terry Sanderson, accused Paltrow of skiing recklessly down the slopes which resulted in a violent collision. Sanderson, now 76, and his team claim the Oscar winner then left him on the ground as she and her group skied away.
According to HuffPost, his lawyer Lawrence Buhler stated:
"All skiers know that when they're skiing down the mountain, it's their responsibility to yield the right of way to skiers below them."
Buhler then spoke of Sanderson's military service before moving on to describe the retired optometrist's broken ribs and brain trauma that were caused by the collision.
He then switched to describing Paltrow's wealth as well as her experience on the slopes.
"She hires multiple ski instructors for her children, which allows them to skip the lines."
"Private instructors cost thousands of dollars per day.."
Well, Paltrow's lawyer called the whole story "B.S."
According to her team, Paltrow was the victim in the accident.
Her attorneys expressed to the jurors that Sanderson was the one who crashed into her, resulting in what they called a "full body blow."
The New York Times reported that according to documents, Paltrow was taking ski lessons when Sanderson, who was further uphill, "plowed into her back."
Her attorney stated that she was skiing when suddenly "two skis appear between her skis and a man comes up right behind her," also noting that for a moment, she thought she was being assaulted.
One of the attorneys also shared that members of Paltrow's entourage did check on Sanderson after the crash to make sure he was okay. Sanderson had no recollection of that exchange.
The lawyer noted that Sanderson posted a "very happy, smiling picture" online of himself being tobogganed after the collision.
He stated:
"His memories of the case get better over the years. That's all I'm gonna say."
"That's not how memory works."
By Utah law, the skier who is down hill is given the right of way, but both parties claimed to have been the downhill skier at the time of the accident.
People on social media chimed in.
Many noted that potential collision and injury are always risks when taking to the slopes.
Several also questioned the $300k amount Sanderson is seeking in damages.
Sanderson initially asked for $3.1 million in the lawsuit, but it was dismissed. He is now seeking $300,000.
Paltrow, on the other hand, is seeking attorney fees and $1 in damages in her counterclaim.
The trial is expected to go on for eight days and is slated to include testimonies from medical professionals and Paltrow's children. Sanderson's attorneys will call Paltrow herself to the stand on Friday to testify, if not earlier.
Sanderson's witnesses so far have included a ski companion and pal Craig Ramon, along with Karlene Davidson, with whom Sanderson was in a relationship at the time of the accident.
