SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah man filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing actress Gwyneth Paltrow of seriously injuring him during ski crash at a Park City resort in 2016.
Retired doctor Terry Sanderson said in the lawsuit that Paltrow was skiing out of control and smashed into him from behind, leaving him with a concussion and four broken ribs. The alleged incident occurred Feb. 26, 2016, on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort.
Paltrow denied the claims through spokeswoman Heather Wilson, who said in an emailed statement: “This lawsuit is without merit and we expect to be vindicated.”
Sanderson’s lawsuit claims Paltrow left him injured on the mountain and didn’t send for help. A Deer Valley ski instructor skiing with Paltrow and her family and friends filed a false incident report saying Paltrow didn’t cause the crash, the lawsuit alleges.
Deer Valley Resort spokeswoman Emily Summers said the resort can’t comment on pending legal matters. The resort is also being sued.
Sanderson said at a news conference in Salt Lake City at his attorney’s office that it took him nearly three years to file a lawsuit because he dragged his feet, ran into problems with previous attorneys and was dealing with inability to function properly because of the concussion.
He said he has been in contact with an attorney representing Paltrow, but he has never been offered any compensation or an apology. They have even suggested he could be sued, Sanderson said.
Sanderson’s lawsuit seeks $3.1 million in damages, but he denies he’s suing because Paltrow is a famous and rich celebrity. He called it an unkind gesture not to stick around or ever apologize for what happened.
“I would like to be vindicated,” said Sanderson, now 72. “I would like my truth to be told.”
Attorneys for Sanderson said Paltrow’s attorneys don’t deny she was involved in a crash, but dispute her culpability, said lawyer Robert Sykes, who represents Sanderson.
The events are based on the memory of an acquaintance who was skiing with Sanderson that day of the crash, Sykes said. Sanderson said he doesn’t remember anything beyond being struck in the back and losing control of his body as he was thrust forward with somebody on his back.
The witness, Craig Ramon, said a Deer Valley ski instructor berated Sanderson as he laid knocked out on the snow, face down. He told Ramon that Sanderson had taken out Gwyneth Paltrow.
Sykes said Paltrow violated the reckless skiing provision of the Summit County code, which requires a skier to stay at the scene of a crash to make sure the other skier is taken care of.