American actress Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in a US court on Tuesday after a compensation claim was filed against her by a retired optometrist who was injured in a skiing accident seven years ago.
The optometrist’s lawyer said at the opening of the lawsuit that his client, Terry Sanderson, is seeking $3.3 million in damages.
Lawrence D. Buhler, Sanderson’s representative, said in her opening accusations that the actress was skiing “dangerously” and “recklessly”, and that Terry Sanderson suffered “four broken ribs and permanent brain damage” as a result.
“She knew that skiing like that was like skiing blindly down a mountain looking up and to the side; she knew that if she kept skiing like that…she would collide with someone.”
The attorney stated that Paltrow collided with his client and quickly ran away, leaving him slumped and unconscious without calling for help or checking to make sure he was okay.
Gwyneth Paltrow objected. Steven Owens, the Hollywood star’s attorney, told the Park City courthouse that Sanderson was “obsessed” with the lawsuit and that the case was a “baseless allegation.”
The lawyer claimed that Paltrow was descending the slope when a pair of skis suddenly appeared between his legs and a man collided with his back. Owens said the actress initially thought she was being attacked and was so shocked by the incident that she decided not to go skiing that day.
“It bothered her and hurt her physically,” he said.
Owens also stated that Sanderson is “blind in one eye” and suffers from “vision loss” in the other, suggesting that poor eyesight could have been the cause of the accident.
The accident took place in February 2016, in Deer Valley, in the Rocky Mountains, Utah.
Brad Falchuk, the actress’ husband, and the couple’s children will also appear in court to testify.
Sanderson’s friend Craig Ramon was the first to testify, stating that he heard a scream and turned his head to see the Gwyneth Paltrow collide with Sanderson.
When questioned, the actress’ lawyers noted that Ramon is colorblind, arguing that he cannot distinguish skiers by their clothing.
The case depends on which of the skiers was climbing the hill at the time of the accident, according to Deer Valley safety rules. The process is expected to take eight days.
Source: DN
