Terry Sanderson testifies in Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial

Terry Sanderson, the person accusing Gwyneth Paltrow of crashing into him whilst snowboarding greater than seven years in the past and leaving him severely injured, took to the stand Monday to testify in the civil trial over the 2016 twist of fate.

This is the primary time Sanderson, a retired optometrist, has testified in the trial. He first filed a criticism towards Paltrow in January 2019, submitting an up to date criticism a month later.

Sanderson started through addressing his absence from the court for many of ultimate week, announcing he did not wish to be provide whilst his daughters testified, announcing he sought after them so as to “speak totally freely.”

He then recounted his recollection of the incident, which allegedly came about Feb. 26, 2016, insisting at the stand that he was once downhill whilst Paltrow was once uphill, announcing, “There was nothing in front of me.”

Sanderson stated he recalled listening to a “blood-curdling scream” earlier than he stated he “got hit in my back so hard.” The subsequent factor he remembered, he stated, was once that “everything is black.”

“I tried to move, and I could not move a limb. I couldn’t move my head. I couldn’t move my body,” he stated. “Nothing was responding.”

Sanderson stated he does personal a GoPro digital camera however that he did not have it the day of the twist of fate.

Addressing the e-mail to his daughters in which he wrote “I’m famous” after the ski crash, he stated, “I really was trying to add a little levity to a serious situation, and it backfired.”

Sanderson additionally spoke of his strained courting together with his daughter Jenny, the one daughter not to testify in courtroom, announcing they “don’t communicate as well” as he does together with his different two daughters.

He stated he now speaks “upside-down and backward” on account of the twist of fate.

Sanderson stated he does not really feel “as engaged” in actions and that he does not “have that same spark” as he did previous to the twist of fate, calling himself a “self-imposed recluse.”

Cross-examination of Sanderson started Monday and can proceed “at a different time,” Paltrow’s lawyer stated.

Deer Valley workers Eric Christiansen and Whitney Smith additionally testified on Monday, in addition to Deer Valley Director of Operations Steve Graff.

What has came about in the civil trial thus far

So a long way in the civil trial, the jury has heard opening remarks from each Paltrow’s and Sanderson’s lawyers in addition to testimony from a slew of medical doctors — together with Dr. Wendell Gibby, Dr. Sam Goldstein, Dr. Alina Fong and Dr. Richard Boehme — in addition to a witness Sanderson’s protection claims is the only witness of the crash.

Sanderson’s ex-girlfriend and two of his daughters have additionally taken to the stand, as did the brother of Sanderson’s son-in-law.

On Friday, Paltrow took to the stand for the primary time and recounted her reminiscence of the twist of fate, announcing she was once snowboarding together with her two kids and her husband Brad Falchuk, her then-boyfriend, when “Mr. Sanderson skied directly into my back.”

Paltrow, who filed a counterclaim towards Sanderson in February 2019, stated she was once “extremely upset” in the aftermath of the crash.

When requested through Sanderson’s lawyer if Paltrow feels “some sympathy for Mr. Sanderson’s declining brain,” she stated, “I really do. I feel very sorry for him. It seems like he’s had a very difficult life.”

“But I did not cause the accident,” she stated. “So I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him.”

Paltrow’s lawyer, Stephen Owens, has stated that Falchuk, as neatly Paltrow’s two kids, daughter Apple and son Moses, will take the stand in the civil trial.

Sanderson’s allegations

Sanderson’s authentic criticism filed towards Paltrow claims that Paltrow allegedly “skied out of control and hit the back of Terry Sanderson, another skier, who was downhill, knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.”

The authentic criticism additionally named a Deer Valley ski trainer, the Deer Valley Resort Company LLC, and a pair of different unnamed workers of the hotel, indexed as Jane and John Doe.

The criticism said that “Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured.” According to the criticism, the Deer Valley Resort ski trainer who was once coaching Paltrow allegedly “saw the injured Sanderson and skied off, falsely accusing Sanderson of having caused the crash.”

“He also failed to send help, as he was obligated to do, and later filed a false report to protect his client, Ms. Paltrow,” the criticism said.

Sanderson additionally alleged in the unique criticism that “neither Ms. Paltrow nor Deer Valley lodge personnel notified emergency responders” about his accidents and “left him at the scene with serious brain injuries.” The criticism claimed that a minimum of two Deer Valley-employed instructors who had been with the actress didn’t telephone ski patrol for lend a hand for him.

The criticism alleged that the ski trainer later “filled out and signed an incident report falsely stating that Gwyneth Paltrow did not cause the crash” although the ski trainer allegedly “did not see the crash” occur.

In an amended criticism filed in February 2019, Sanderson modified the worth of damages he is looking for in the lawsuit from $3.1 million to $300,000.

The different events indexed in his proceedings, together with a Deer Valley ski trainer, the Deer Valley Resort Company LLC, and a pair of different unnamed workers of the hotel, had been pushed aside from Sanderson’s swimsuit in January 2023. The hotel was once pushed aside from the swimsuit after its legal professional argued it’s protected against legal responsibility for snowboarding accidents given the inherent dangers to the game.

Paltrow’s countersuit

A month after Sanderson filed his authentic lawsuit, Paltrow filed a countersuit towards him.

In it, she denied inflicting the collision and claimed that Sanderson was once the person who “plowed into her back.”

“Ms. Paltrow remembers what happened very clearly,” the swimsuit claimed. “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,” the swimsuit persevered. “Plaintiff apologized. She was shaken and upset, and quit skiing for the day even though it was still morning.”

In Paltrow’s counterclaim, she claimed {that a} Deer Valley worker was once provide on the scene of the twist of fate. Her counterclaim states that the employee requested Sanderson if he was once OK to which he allegedly stated he was once. Her counterclaim states that the worker created a document announcing Sanderson was once the uphill skier who was once liable for their collision and that he had “taken [Paltrow] out from behind.”

The Goop CEO and award-winning actress known as the lawsuit towards her an “attempt to exploit her celebrity and wealth,” in line with her countersuit.

The counterclaim said that Paltrow stated her accidents had been “relatively minor” and that she is best in search of “symbolic damages” of $1 “plus her costs and attorneys’ fees” for protecting herself towards “this meritless claim.”