‘Reckless’ Gwyneth Paltrow caused ski crash, US court hears

A US court has heard how Gwyneth Paltrow was “reckless” and “distracted” when she crashed into a 76-year-old man on a ski slope in Park City, Utah.

Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson claims that the Oscar-winning actress and Goop CEO “crashed” into him on the beginners’ slope and then skied away, “leaving him prone and unconscious”, according to the BBC.

Sanderson originally sued for $3.1m (£2.5m) in damages, but later dropped the claim to $300,000 (£245,000).

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Paltrow has countersued Sanderson for “a symbolic” $1 in damages, said Sky News, claiming that in fact he was the one who collided with her.

Outlining the case against Paltrow, Sanderson’s lawyer Lawrence Buhler told the court: “Distracted skiers cause crashes. [Paltrow] knew that skiing that way, blindly skiing down a mountain while looking up and to the side, was reckless; she knew that continuing to ski that way… she would crash into somebody below her.”

But Steve Owens, Paltrow’s lawyer, dismissed Sanderson’s claims as “utter BS” and argued that Sanderson’s vision and hearing impairments may have caused him to not see Paltrow when he ran into the actress from behind, leaving her with minor injuries that kept her off the slopes for the rest of the day.

Sanderson’s lawsuit states that the collision left him with “a brain injury, four broken ribs, and other serious injuries”. According to AP News, Paltrow alleges that he is exaggerating these injuries in an attempt to exploit her wealth and fame.

The jury also heard from Sanderson’s “friend and ski companion” Craig Ramon, reported The Washington Post, who said he was about 11 metres away when he heard Paltrow scream and bump into his friend, he claims, and then ski away.

However, during cross examination, Paltrow’s lawyer argued that Ramon, being colour-blind, wouldn’t have been able to accurately identify the defendant during the accident.

At ski resorts, “the skier who is downhill has the right of way, so a central question in the case is who was farther down the beginner’s run when the collision transpired”, said the Daily Telegraph. Both Paltrow and Sanderson claim in court filings “that they were farther downhill when the other rammed into them”, the paper added.

The trial is set to last eight days. Paltrow and her children, who were present at the time of the accident, are expected to testify.