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Gwyneth Paltrow trial – live: Victim says he is now unable to enjoy wine tastings after ski collision

The retired optometrist who has taken actor Gwyneth Paltrow to trial over a 2016 ski collision has claimed he can no longer enjoy wine tastings because of injuries sustained in the collision.

The Hollywood star and Goop CEO has been accused of crashing into Terry Sanderson, 76, on a ski slope at the Deer Valley resort in Park City, Utah in February 2016.

Mr Sanderson claims Paltrow slammed into him in a “full body hit” leaving him with “permanent traumatic brain injury, four broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and disfigurement”.

Meanwhile, Paltrow claims that it was Ms Sanderson who crashed into her.

Neuro-radiology expert Dr Windell Gibby testified on Wednesday that the collision caused him to “abruptly” suffer a sharp decline in quality of life – leaving him unable to enjoy his pasttimes.

“Terry had been a high-functioning, active person... Meeting groups, wine tasting, skiing, volunteering,” she said.

“After the accident, he deteriorated abruptly and many of the activities he loved to do, he stopped doing.”

Mr Sanderson is seeking $300,000 from Paltrow while she is seeking $1 in damages and for her legal fees to be covered.

Key Points

  • Oscar-winning actor Gwyneth Paltrow faces civil suit after 2016 ski crash

  • Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson and Paltrow have very different versions of events

  • Sanderson suffered ‘permanent traumatic brain injury, four broken ribs ... emotional distress’

  • Trial will decide damages

  • Opening statements to begin today

  • Paltrow expected to testify in case

Why is Gwyneth Paltrow being sued over a ski crash?

09:00 , Andrea Blanco

Gwyneth complains about being photographed at ski collision trial

08:00 , Andrea Blanco

Before the second day of proceedings began on Wednesday, attorneys for the Goop founder argued that her privacy was being disturbed by a camera inside the courtroom pointing directly at her face and paparazzi waiting for her in the parking lot.

“We have a new camera directed at my client right there,” attorney Steve Owens said. “This has been a [continuing] problem, for instance, reporters being in front of my client’s car going out yesterday, cameras in her face.”

He continued: “I’m mad, I don’t want reporters to make changes without informing [the judge].”

Gwyneth Paltrow ‘slammed’ into skier then ‘bolted’ without a word, US court told

07:00 , Andrea Blanco

Gwyneth Paltrow “slammed” into another skier and then “bolted” down the slope without saying a word, a US court has heard.

The Oscar-winning actress is alleged to have collided with Terry Sanderson, leaving him unresponsive at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah in 2016.

Mr Sanderson, a retired optometrist, is suing Paltrow over the incident, with proceedings taking place in Park City, Utah.

Gwyneth Paltrow ‘slammed’ into skier then ‘bolted’ without a word, US court told

Terry Sanderson heard ‘hysterical screaming’ before collision

06:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Sanderson alleges that Ms Paltrow was coming down the beginner slope of Bandana Run on Flagstaff mountain in an “out-of-control” manner, according to Court TV.

He claims that she struck him so hard that he was knocked out. At a press conference in 2019, he said that moments before the collision, he “heard this just hysterical screaming like … King Kong in the jungle or something”.

Terry Sanderson during a press conference in 2019

He said at the time that he thought the speed at which Ms Paltrow was allegedly coming at him could explain the extent of his injuries. “A little bitty bullet can make a big hole,” he said, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

At that press conference announcing the lawsuit, Mr Sanderson said he noticed a number of large “slow down” signs as he headed down Bandana run, so he slowed down but still stayed with the flow of other skiers coming down the slope.

“It was just instantaneous,” he said in 2019. “I got hit in my back. ... It felt like it had just drove me forward.”

He said he could remember not being able to control himself as he went down.

“And then that’s all I remember to that point — just out,” he said.

Gwyneth Paltrow faces trial showdown over ‘hysterical King Kong’ ski crash

05:00 , Andrea Blanco

A retired optometrist claims he was skiing with friends when he heard ‘hysterical screaming like … King Kong in the jungle or something’.

The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander reports:

Gwyneth Paltrow faces court showdown over ‘hysterical King Kong’ ski crash

Gwyneth Paltrow’s claim skier crashed into her is not ‘plausible’, trial told

04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Terry Sanderson showed ‘typical hallmarks’ of a traumatic brain injury after 2016 collision, the court heard.

Paltrow’s claim skier crashed into her is not ‘plausible’, trial told

Expert explains Mr Sanderson’s injuries after collision

03:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Sanderson’s attorneys are trying to prove that it was Ms Paltrow who slammed into their client, arguing that the downhill skier always has the right-of-way.

Instead, Ms Paltrow argues that Mr Sanderson rammed into her.

Testifying for the defence, neuro-radiology expert Dr Gibby said the scenario presented by Mr Sanderson’s attorneys was more compatible with the degree of the injuries he experienced — four displaced broken ribs.

“The force of injury of just falling over would not be the same as if you had someone striking you and knocking you over,” Dr Gibby said. “If you have the combined force of two people, that would also increase... his likelihood for injury.”

 (Court TV)
(Court TV)

ICYMI: Parties aim to prove who is to blame for the collision

02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Sanderson is arguing that Ms Paltrow is essentially guilty of the accident. In his complaint filed in 2019, he alleges that after the collision, she “got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured”.

“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 states.

Ms Paltrow on the other hand, claims that her instructor did in fact witness the collision.

The rule of the hills in Utah is that those ahead of you have the right of way and that those coming from behind have to avoid others. Both Mr Sanderson and Ms Paltrow claim that they were lower down on the mountain.

Deer Valley adheres to the National Ski Areas Association responsibility code, which also says that all skiers must be in control and able to stop as well as avoid other skiers.

Testimony is done for the day

01:11 , Josh Marcus

Testimony has ceased for the day in Park City, Utah, in the trial over who’s responsible for a 2016 ski crash involving Gwyneth Paltrow.

Thanks for reading, and stay with The Independent for the latest news and analysis from the case.

Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash caused man to ‘abruptly’ lose mental function, Utah court hears

01:06 , Josh Marcus

A 2016 ski crash with actor Gwyneth Paltrow caused a man to suffer long-term injuries, including to his mental health and cognitive ability, a Utah court heard on Wednesday, during a second day of testimony in a Park City courthouse.

Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson is seeking $300,000 in damages for the impact of a collision between the two at the Deer Valley resort in Utah, which experts testified left the now 76-year-old with lasting damage.

Radiologist Dr Wendell Gibby, who examined Mr Sanderson, told the court the man had the “typical hallmarks” of a brain injury, and his quality of life “deteriorated abruptly” following the crash, drastically changing things for the typically “very high-functioning, high-energy person.”

More details in our full story.

Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash caused man to ‘abruptly’ lose mental ability, court hears

Gastroenterologist condemns Gwyneth Paltrow’s use of ‘rectal ozone therapy’

01:00 , Andrea Blanco

A trial over a 2016 ski accident is not the only controversy the Goop mogul is facing.

The Independent’s Amber Raiken reports:

Gastroenterologist condemns Gwyneth Paltrow’s use of ‘rectal ozone therapy’

Gwyneth Paltrow claims the extent of Mr Sanderson’s injuries was exaggerated

00:00 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Paltrow says in her pre-trial filing that Mr Sanderson’s injuries are exaggerated because an examination was conducted with his doctor, which didn’t reveal anything lacking in his cognitive functioning, the claim says.

The movie star’s filing states that medical records show that he was diagnosed with a “mild” concussion and that he has spent “extended periods of time” on vacation abroad following the crash.

The counterclaim also alleges that Mr Sanderson had 15 chronic medical problems and that he had told his physician a year previously that he was blind in his right eye, and that the vision in his left eye was getting worse.

“She did not knock him down or cause him to suffer a concussion, brain injury, or broken ribs,” Ms Paltrow’s filing states.

Second day of Gwyneth Paltrow’s $300,000 skiing collision trial wraps

Wednesday 22 March 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom on Wednesday (AP)
Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom on Wednesday (AP)
Actor Gwyneth Paltrow looks on as she sits in the courtroom on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Park City, Utah (AP)
Actor Gwyneth Paltrow looks on as she sits in the courtroom on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Park City, Utah (AP)

Doctor says man in Gwyneth Paltrow ski accident can’t enjoy wine tasting anymore

Wednesday 22 March 2023 22:57 , Josh Marcus

Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist, claims a 2016 ski crash with Gwyneth Paltrow left him with permanent injuries that altered his quality of life.

“Terry had been a high-functioning, active person,” Dr Wendell Gibby, a neuroradiology expert, said of Mr Sanderson’s injuries during testimony on Wednesday. “Every day he was doing lots of things. Meeting groups, wine tasting, skiing, volunteering.”

“After the accident, he deteriorated abruptly and many of the activities he loved to do, he stopped doing,” the expert added.

Ms Paltrow has asserted it was Mr Sanderson who crashed into her.

Doctor describes ‘mind injury’ after ski accident

Wednesday 22 March 2023 22:40 , Josh Marcus

Neuropsychologist Dr Sam Goldstein says Terry Sanderson, 76, may have suffered from a psychological “mind injury” in addition to a “minor” physical brain injury after allegedly colliding with actor Gwyneth Paltrow on a Utah ski slope in 2016.

“There’s a brain injury and there’s a mind injury,” said the doctor, who consulted with Mr Sanderson after the accident. “The mind injury is more emotional or psychological, in the sense of what his mind chooses to think about those events subsequently in his life and what happened. What I suggested was that at that moment in time, if I could help his mind look at his life a little different, then I think he could function quite a bit better. He could return to doing some of the things he was doing before.”

Doctor says apology wouldn’t be enough after ski crash

Wednesday 22 March 2023 22:27 , Josh Marcus

A doctor who consulted with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson after his alleged 2016 collision with Gwyneth Paltrow says at this point, an apology from the actor and Goop founder might not be enough.

Dr Sam Goldstein said under cross-examination by the defence that Mr Sanderson had long struggled with the thought that “the person who skied into him lacked remorse or didn’t support him.”

Over time, Mr Sanderson came to worry the crash left him with cognitive function issues, and “his perception of his dysfunction in every day life became a much bigger issue,” the doctor continued.

“If the person who allegedly skied into him apologised, I don’t think it would solve all his problems today,” he added.

Defence brings up Mr Sanderson’s previous ‘anger management’

Wednesday 22 March 2023 22:20 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Paltrow’s attorneys sought to poke holes in Mr Sanderson’s claim that the accident caused him a severe brain injury that changed his behaviour and affected his brain functions.

They argued that records from 2009 state Mr Sanderson had previous anger management and that he “struggled with self-disclosure” before the 2016 collision.

Dr Goldstein says accident caused ‘acute, rapid, downturn'

Wednesday 22 March 2023 21:28 , Andrea Blanco

Dr Goldstein said that Mr Sanderson’s health issues previous to the accident are not the reason he is struggling today with brain functions.

“Mr Sanderson may have had pre-existing issues with his brain, with his mood, with his health,” Dr Goldstein testified. “But there was, based on the record, an acute, adverse change in his behaviour and emotional function.”

He added: “Initially, it appeared to be a consequence of his physical injuries, he was in pain.”

“But over time, it became apparent that it was more than him being disrupted by pain and that were it not for that particular accident, the life he was living in the six months to a year before, would have been the life he continued to be living.”

Defence grills expert for Mr Sanderson’s legal team

Wednesday 22 March 2023 20:32 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Paltrow’s attorneys tried to poke holes in Dr Gibby’s testimony, arguing that he hadn’t conducted “exhaustive” exams on Mr Sanderson.

Dr Gibby testified that Mr Sanderson’s shearing injuries could have been caused by the accident, but it was also possible they were there before.

Gwyneth Paltrow branded a ‘prima donna’ for complaining about being photographed at ski collision trial

Wednesday 22 March 2023 19:56 , Andrea Blanco

Gwyneth Paltrow has been branded a “prima donna” for complaining about cameras pointing at her during her trial for a ski collision.

Before the second day of proceedings began in Park City, Utah, on Wednesday, attorneys for the Goop founder argued that her privacy was being disturbed by a camera inside the courtroom pointing directly at her face and paparazzi waiting for her in the parking lot.

Read more:

Gwyneth Paltrow complains about being photographed at ski collision trial

Gwyneth Paltrow mocked for her ‘worst’ choice of glasses for ski collision trial

Wednesday 22 March 2023 19:15 , Andrea Blanco

Fans have mocked Gwyneth Paltrow for the glasses that she wore on the first day of her civil trial over a ski collision.

The Goop CEO’s trial began on Tuesday over a lawsuit brought by retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, who claims she crashed into him on a ski slope at the Deer Valley resort in Park City, Utah in February 2016.

The Independent’s Amber Raiken has the story:

Gwyneth Paltrow mocked for her ‘worst’ choice of glasses for ski collision trial

Gwyneth Paltrow to testify alongside her children and Brad Falchuk at Utah ski crash trial

Wednesday 22 March 2023 18:59 , Andrea Blanco

The wellness company CEO and actor is being sued for $300,000 in case of negligence for skiing accident in 2016.

Defence says Mr Sanderson was ‘’easily frustrated and quick to anger’ pre-accident

Wednesday 22 March 2023 18:30 , Andrea Blanco

During cross-examination by the defence, Dr Gibby said that he was not aware of reports by one of Mr Sanderson’s daughters that he was “verbally abusive” towards her and her mother.

Ms Paltrow’s attorneys said that Mr Sanderson’s daughter Jenny “did not feel love or nurtured” by her father. They also said Jenny noted he is “easily frustrated and quick to anger.”

The remarks come after Dr Gibby testified that Mr Sanderson had developed frustration towards his grandchildren following the accident.

Two of Mr Sanderson’s daughters are expected to testify about his change in personality in recent years, which Mr Sanderson’s attorneys say stems from the 2016 ski collision.

Injuries support retired optometrist’s claims, expert says

Wednesday 22 March 2023 17:42 , Andrea Blanco

Based on eyewitness Craig Ramon’s account of the events, Dr Gibby says it is unlikely Mr Sanderson plowed into Ms Paltrow.

“What I believe happened was that [Mr Sanderson] was struck from the left side and that forced him into the ground,” Dr Gibby said. “So the combined weight of the two individuals slamming into the ground caused his broken ribs and head injury.”

He continued: “I don’t think it would be plausible that, if he were running into her, he would have broken the ribs on the side of his chest.”

“He would have had his arms extended, he would have protected his leg. He would have had knees, arms, etc, in front of his chest.”

“He might have had other injuries, a broken arm, leg or wrist, something like that.”

“But in terms of a frontal collision, had he run into Ms Paltrow, he wouldn’t have these injuries.”

Expert says Mr Sanderson’s injuries could be explained by Ms Paltrow landing on his back

Wednesday 22 March 2023 17:08 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Sanderson’s attorneys are trying to prove that it was Ms Paltrow who slammed into their client, arguing that the downhill skier always has the right-of-way.

Instead, Ms Paltrow argues that Mr Sanderson rammed into her.

Testifying for the defence, neuro-radiology expert Dr Gibby said the scenario presented by Mr Sanderson’s attorneys was more compatible with the degree of the injuries he experienced — four displaced broken ribs.

“The force of injury of just falling over would not be the same as if you had someone striking you and knocking you over,” Dr Gibby said. “If you have the combined force of two people, that would also increase... his likelihood for injury.”

Mr Sanderson’s attorneys show X-rays of his broken ribs to the court

Wednesday 22 March 2023 17:07 , Andrea Blanco

 (Court TV)
(Court TV)

Jury hears Mr Sanderson ‘deteriorated abruptly’ after accident

Wednesday 22 March 2023 16:34 , Andrea Blanco

Dr Gibby said the accident had deeply affected Mr Sanderson. On one occasion after the accident, Mr Gibby said, Mr Sanderson had to call the police to help him find his car in a parking lot.

“Terry had been a high-functioning active person,” Dr Gibby said. “Every day he was doing lots of things. Meeting groups, wine tasting, skiing, volunteering.”

“After the accident, he deteriorated abruptly and many of the activities he loved to do, he stopped doing. His interactions with his children and grandchildren suffered.”

Those symptoms, Mr Gibby said, did not seem to be present before the accident.

Expert testifying for Mr Sanderson takes the stand

Wednesday 22 March 2023 16:07 , Andrea Blanco

Neuro Radiology expert Dr Wendell Gibby was called by the defence on Wednesday to take the stand.

Mr Sanderson’s attorneys are hoping to prove that although their client had previous brain injuries, which they’ve said were mere “risk factors,” the collision with Ms Paltrow is to blame for his worsening symptoms in recent years.

The defence argued this morning that Dr Gibby did not review a previous 2009 MRI performed on Mr Sanderson, which they said makes the expert incapable of offering his opinion.

While on the stand, Dr Gibby testified that he ran a series of tests on Mr Sanderson and found the retired doctor had issued with problem-solving exercises.

The jury did not hear Dr Gibby’s testimony. The court will determine if he can offer his opinion without having reviewed the 2009 MRI.

Goop mogul complains of camera presence in courtroom

Wednesday 22 March 2023 16:05 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Owens complained on Wednesday that an Associated Press photographer, the only photojournalist allowed in the courtroom, pointed their camera at his client.

The attorney also told the judge that Ms Paltrow was photographed in the parking lot of the courthouse.

On Tuesday, Mr Owens also raised the issue that the photographer had taken pictures of Ms Paltrow in the foyer, where pictures are not allowed.

WATCH LIVE HERE: Gwyneth Paltrow’s second day of trial

Wednesday 22 March 2023 15:30 , Megan Sheets

Gwyneth Paltrow back in court for second day of ski collision trial

Wednesday 22 March 2023 15:14 , Andrea Blanco

 (CourtTV)
(CourtTV)
 (CourtTV)
(CourtTV)

Gwyneth Paltrow’s defence alleges previous brain injury is to blame for Mr Sanderson’s symptoms

Wednesday 22 March 2023 15:10 , Andrea Blanco

The defence argued that an expert hired by Mr Sanderson’s attorneys had not reviewed a pre-accident 2009 MRI showing that he had brain injuries.

Mr Sanderson’s attorneys rebutted that the expert was aware of those injuries and asserted in a previous deposition that Mr Sanderson had been asymptomatic.

The judge questioned the plaintiff’s attorneys on whether the MRI had been made available to the expert.

What is retired optometrist Terry Sanderson demanding?

Wednesday 22 March 2023 15:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Sanderson, 76, filed for damages in January 2019 and is seeking $300,000 in compensation for the injuries he sustained, prompting Ms Paltrow to file a countersuit in which she asks for a symbolic $1 should she win and for her legal expenses to be covered.

He had initially filed for $3.1m in damages but the sum was lowered by the judge.

Meanwhile, Ms Paltrow has called the lawsuit “a meritless claim” and “an attempt to exploit her celebrity and wealth”, insisting she “remembers what happened very clearly”.

Gwyneth Paltrow could take stand today

Wednesday 22 March 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Actor Gwyneth Paltrow could take the stand today to testify in her civil trial over a 2016 ski collision.

The Hollywood star and Goop CEO has been accused of crashing into retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, on a ski slope at the Deer Valley resort in Park City, Utah in February 2016.

Mr Sanderson claims Paltrow slammed into him in a “full body hit” leaving him with “permanent traumatic brain injury, four broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and disfigurement”.

Meanwhile, Paltrow claims that it was Ms Sanderson who crashed into her on the slope.

Paltrow, her now-husband Brad Falchuk and her children Moses, 16, and Apple, 18, are all expected to testify in the case.

The star may be called to the stand by Mr Sanderson’s legal team on Wednesday if other witnesses are unavailable, his attorney said.

Originally, the plan was to call Paltrow on Friday, they said.