Oscar-winning actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow is reportedly set to take the stand in a $300,000 civil case stemming from a 2016 ski accident at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, in which the actress allegedly skied into a man from behind, causing injury.
Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson is suing Paltrow, accusing the actress of skiing away after the accident, which he says caused “permanent traumatic brain injury, 4 broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life,” along with emotional distress and disfigurement, according to the lawsuit obtained by Fox News.
“Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured,” the complaint reads. “A Deer Valley ski instructor, who had been training Ms. Paltrow, but who did not see the crash, skied over, saw the injured Sanderson and skied off, falsely accusing Sanderson of having caused the crash.”
The complaint, which was filed in 2019, originally accused Paltrow of a hit-and-run. That version of the complaint was later dismissed by a judge, and the Deer Valley Resort and ski instructor have since been removed from the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Paltrow claims that it was actually Sanderson who had skied into her, and says that she did not leave the scene until she was given the okay to do so by the ski instructor.
The Shakespeare in Love star has since filed a countersuit, asking for $1 in symbolic damages, and that her lawyer fees be covered. The trial will begin on Tuesday.
Celebrity lawyer Duncan Levin — who is not currently representing Paltrow — told Fox News that this case might be going to trial because the Talented Mr. Ripley star is looking to repair her reputation.
“It takes two to settle, and we don’t really know who is pushing this to trial, but based on everything we know, Paltrow is well within her rights to fight this all the way to the end,” Levin said.
“For Paltrow, this is not about the money, which she has plenty of. It’s about repairing her reputation and fending off someone who she believes to be bringing a false claim to get at her deep pockets,” he continued. “She’s far more focused on the court of public opinion than the one in Utah.”
“High-profile defendants often rightly care more about vindication and fending off frivolous lawsuits than quickly settling what they believe to be a meritless case,” Levin added.
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