Gwyneth Paltrow has been forced to testify in a Utah court over a skiing accident in which she was involved in 2016 after Terry Sanderson, a retiree she allegedly ran over while skiing on the slopes at Deer Valley Resort, near Salt Lake City (USA), has sued her for a sum greater than 300,000 euros. Sanderson alleges that she suffered brain damage and various permanent injuries as a result of the accident.
The Oscar-winning actress was forced to take the stand last year and testify before Judge Kent R. Holmberg in the first session of a trial that is expected to last eight days.
According to Sanderson, the Shakespeare In Love star ran into him while skiing, entangling their skis in the process. The actress would have run over him and left him lying in the snow "severely injured" with "a permanent traumatic brain injury", in addition to four fractured ribs.
On January 1, 2019, Terry Sanderson was suing the actress for crashing into him while skiing through a beginner's area. Initially, Sanderson claimed almost three million dollars, a figure that was reduced over time; even more so since the actress decided to counter-sue him a few years ago.
An incident that would have left him serious consequences, such as "pain, depression, emotional anguish and disfigurement." Sanderson further insists that she had a witness on her behalf, an instructor present at the incident, who ultimately would have filed a report on the actress's behalf.
The interpreter arrived at the first session of the trial visibly smiling, with a long green coat and sunglasses; she accompanied by her lawyer, Stephen Owens, who once again reiterated that all this was a ploy by the victim to get more money. The lawyer has also explained that it is a hard time for the actress, since the accident in question would have marred the actress's first outing after the death of her father, Bruce Paltrow, in 2002.
People closest to the actress are expected to testify in the coming days, including her husband, producer Brad Falchuck; and her two children, Apple and Moses Martin, born from her marriage to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
In addition to them, the testimony of more witnesses is expected in the trial. Among others, specialists such as doctors Wendell Gibby (Radiology) or Sam Goldstein (Neuropsychology) are expected to come to testify over the next few days, with four more witnesses to be called by Sanderson's legal team.
At the moment, after seven years of litigation, it seems to be far from resolution. Both blame the other for having crashed, and in the state of Utah there is hardly any legislation to regulate this type of accident in the snow while practicing this sport.
This lawsuit is the result of the latest rectification made by Sanderson, who initially sued both the actress and the ski resort for 3.1 million euros. A lawsuit that was dismissed by the judge and that led to the counterclaim of the actress, who demanded a dollar in compensation from the retiree and her lawyers' fees.
