UPDATE with VIDEO.
Back in 2016, Gwyneth Paltrow was involved in a skiing accident that left the person she reportedly hit with a serious brain injury. Now, almost seven years later, the case has gone to court, and the actress was called out for the "reckless" skiing accident during the first day of the trial, and she could end up paying $300,000 in damages.
Dr. Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist, was hit by Paltrow in what was described as a "hit and run" crash, according to the New York Post. His lawyer, Lawrence D. Buhler called the actress out in front of a jury, saying her skiing was "reckless," and explained that:
Distracted skiers cause crashes. Defendant Gwyneth Paltrow knew that looking up the mountain and to the side, while skiing down the mountain, was dangerous.
Sanderson has accused Paltrow of causing permanent brain damage after she ran into him, and then immediately skied away at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. His attorney explained to the jurors that the actress was going down an easy run with her kids, and soon-to-be husband Brad Falchuk as well as a few instructors when she ran into his client from behind.
Buhler explained that the actress ran into Sanderson from behind and fell on top of him. He said this caused his client to sustain a concussion and four broken ribs, and said that he still has symptoms from the brain injury. Originally, he wanted $3.1 million in damages, however, a judge ruled that he was not entitled to punitive damages, saying his maximum could be $300,000, the New York Post reported in another article.
Sanderson’s lawyer also noted that Paltrow is an intermediate skier who has been doing it since she was 3, she also has experience at the Deer Valley resort.
On the other side of this case, Paltrow is countersuing Sanderson, saying that he hit her. The report claimed that the actress said the plaintiff delivered a “full-body blow” to her, and she stayed at the site of the crash after it happened. Due to this, the owner of Goop is asking for the retired optometrist to pay her legal fees and $1 in damages. The report explains that the retired actress seemed emotionless during the first day of the trial, and shook her head as her attorney took issue with the plaintiff’s lawyer saying she ran away from the site of the crash.
The retired actress-turned-business owner is expected to take the stand during the trial to testify at her own defense. Her lawyers also wrote in their counterclaim that the doctor apparently also “admits he does not remember what happened.” They also said that she stayed at the scene, and did not hit and run. Paltrow’s lawyers also put in the counterclaim that doctors conducted brain tests on Sanderson that didn’t show “any deficits in his cognitive functioning.”
This trial comes a week after Gwyneth Paltrow faced backlash over her viral diet, which she directly responded to, and today marked the first day of the court proceedings over this skiing accident. As it continues, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on if Sanderson gets his damages, or if Paltrow succeeds in her countersuing.