Gwyneth Paltrow, the Oscar-winning actor and lifestyle influencer, is currently facing a lawsuit from Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist, over a 2016 ski collision that took place at Deer Valley Resort.
Sanderson is claiming damages of over $300,000, alleging that Paltrow recklessly skied into him on a beginner run, causing him to suffer broken ribs and a concussion. In response, Paltrow has countersued for $1 and attorney fees, claiming that Sanderson caused the collision.
The trial, which began earlier this week, has taken on an increasingly personal note as Sanderson’s daughter and a neuropsychologist testified about his declining health following the collision.
Sanderson’s attorneys have argued that the crash has left him brain-impaired and damaged his relationships with loved ones. Paltrow’s attorneys have questioned whether Sanderson’s downturn is a result of aging or pre-existing conditions.
One of the key pieces of evidence in the case is missing GoPro camera footage, which Paltrow’s attorneys have called “the most important piece of evidence” at trial.
Steve Owens, Paltrow’s lead counsel, questioned one of Sanderson’s daughters, Polly Grasham, about emails exchanged with her father regarding the footage and the possibility that the lawsuit was filed against Paltrow because she is famous.
Paltrow has previously called the lawsuit an attempt to exploit her fame and celebrity.
Owens probed deeply about Sanderson’s “obsession” with the case and whether he thought it was “cool” to collide with a celebrity like Paltrow. Paltrow is expected to be called to testify on Friday or early next week.
The trial has touched on themes ranging from skier’s etiquette to the power and burden of celebrity. The amount of money at stake for both sides pales in comparison to the typical legal costs of a multiyear lawsuit and expert witness-heavy trial.
Sanderson’s attorney told the jury on Thursday that this trial is about “value, not cost.”
The trial is expected to continue for eight days. So far, Paltrow’s attorneys have tried to represent Sanderson as a 76-year-old whose decline followed a normal course of aging rather than the result of a crash.
They have not yet called witnesses of their own to testify, but in opening statements previewed for jurors that they plan to call Paltrow’s husband Brad Falchuk and her two children, Moses and Apple, to the stand.
Kind of hard to be impartial because she has always appeared to be odd to say the least
If just a no body ran into the guy, would he be suing them?