A US court heard on Wednesday that the man who was allegedly hit by actress Gwyneth Paltrow on a Utah ski slope could not “plausibly” have sustained the injuries he did if he had crashed into her.
Terry Sanderson, a 74-year-old retired optometrist, is suing Paltrow for “slamming” into him from behind on the slopes at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.
He is seeking $300,000 in damages after reportedly sustaining broken ribs and brain damage after the 2016 incident.
On day two of the trial, radiologist Wendell Gibby testified that he did not believe that Mr Sanderson was the one who had run into Paltrow.
“Based on the stated testimony of the defendant, of [witness] Craig Ramon and the pattern of injuries that are present … what I believe happened was that he was struck from the left side and that forced him into the ground,” said Dr Gibby.
Both Paltrow and Mr Sanderson have claimed in court filings that they were farther downhill when the other rammed into them.
On a ski slope, the skier who is downhill has the right of way.
The radiologist also said that Mr Sanderson showed the “typical hallmarks” of a traumatic brain injury and “deteriorated abruptly” after the skiing event.
Dr Gibby, who examined Mr Sanderson after he and Paltrow collided, said that, before the incident, he had been “a very high-functioning, high-energy person”.
“His personal interactions with his children and grandchildren suffered and he had trouble multitasking … Those are all typical hallmarks of someone who has had a traumatic brain injury,” Dr Gibby told jurors.
During the first day of the trial, jurors heard from Craig Ramon, who was skiing with Mr Sanderson and present in the aftermath of the collision.
Mr Ramon said he had seen a skier, later identified as Paltrow, “slam” into Mr Sanderson and later “bolt” down the hill without saying a word.
He also said that a Deer Valley employee had arrived on the scene shortly after, telling him “your buddy just took out Gwyneth Paltrow”.
“Had he been the person running into her, I don’t think he would have sustained these types of injuries,” said Dr Gibby.
Paltrow, who was described by her legal team as a “conservative” skier, is countersuing Mr Sanderson for $1 and legal fees and maintains that he was the one who crashed into her.
Agencies contributed to this report
