Testimony resumes in Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial
By Lisa Respers France and Marianne Garvey, CNN
Testimony resumed Wednesday in a Utah trial over a 2016 skiing collision involving Gwyneth Paltrow.
The actress and businesswoman was seated in the Park City, Utah, courtroom, where opening statements began in the case on Tuesday. Terry Sanderson, 76, has accused Paltrow of crashing into him and causing him lasting injuries and brain damage while they were both skiing on a beginner’s run on a Utah mountain in February of 2016.
The two have been in a legal battle for seven years.
On Wednesday morning, Paltrow’s attorney Steve Owens raised an objection to a still photographer in the courtroom transmitting a photo of her. Judge Kent Holmberg agreed it was a violation of the court’s decorum order, explaining still images of the proceedings should “follow the mic.” The camera was seized and the judge said the reporter would be removed it if happened again.
Before a lunch break, radiologist Wendell Gibby testified that Sanderson “deteriorated” after the collision and stopped doing many of the activities he did prior to the incident.
Another physician and family members of Sanderson may take the stand later in the day.
In the court documents obtained by CNN, Sanderson stated that while skiing at Deer Valley Resort, Paltrow allegedly “skied out of control … knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, and four broken ribs and other serious injuries.”
Paltrow filed a countersuit against Sanderson, a retired optometrist, claiming that he skied into her.
According to Paltrow’s countersuit, she “was enjoying skiing with her family on vacation in Utah, when Plaintiff — who was uphill from Ms. Paltrow — plowed into her back. She sustained a full ‘body blow.’ Ms. Paltrow was angry with Plaintiff, and said so. Plaintiff apologized. She was shaken and upset, and quit skiing for the day even though it was still morning.”
Sanderson had initially sued Paltrow for $3.1 million dollars, but later amended his complaint and is now seeking more than $300,000 in damages, according to court documents.
Paltrow is seeking $1 in damages, plus attorneys’ fees.
The trial is expected to last one week.
At the end of the day, Sanderson’s attorney said he expects to call Paltrow to the stand on Friday.
The-CNN-Wire
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