Utah Skier Suing Gwyneth Paltrow Over Collision At Resort
Jan 29, 2019, 5:33 PM | Updated: 8:33 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah skier is suing a famous Hollywood actress, claiming she severely hurt him when she plowed into him on the slopes of Deer Valley three years ago and skied off.
The skier filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday against Gwyneth Paltrow, Deer Valley Resort, one of its ski instructors, and two other employees. The skier claims Paltrow left him with serious injuries, and the resort lied about it and covered it up.
The plaintiff’s attorney refers to this as a “hit-and-run ski crash” that happened Feb. 26, 2016. The skier says he was knocked out and left with a brain injury, four broken ribs, and other serious injuries.
Terry Sanderson is seeking more than $3 million in emotional and financial damages from Paltrow and Deer Valley Resort.
“Reliving this is hard,” said Terry Sanderson, who is seeking more than $3 million in emotional and financial damages from Paltrow and Deer Valley Resort.
He was skiing with acquaintances three years ago on a crowded green run when the crash happened.
“I heard this hysterical scream, like you never hear on a ski run,” he said. “Never have heard that in my life.”
Then he was hit in the back driving him forward and downward.
“That’s all I remember to that point,” he said. “Just out.”
Craig Ramon was skiing with Sanderson that day. He recently gave a recorded video statement to lawyers in the case. When he heard the scream, he said, he looked over from about 30 feet away.
“That’s when I saw Gwyneth hitting him in the back, and then she hit him perfectly in the back. It looked like one person basically going down.”
According to the complaint filed in Summit County court, “Gwyneth Paltrow 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. Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured.”
“What Ms. Paltrow did that day was knock down Terry Sanderson, pick herself up, dust herself off and ski off, without rendering any help,” said Robert Sykes, Sanderson‘s attorney.
That’s a violation of the Skiers Code of Responsibility and Summit County ordinance.
“They don’t deny the collision,” Sykes said of Paltrow‘s lawyers, however, they did not confirm that. “Their position is that Gwyneth Paltrow was downhill, and Terry Sanderson hit Gwyneth Paltrow.”
Paltrow’s publicist stated that the lawsuit is without merit.
Deer Valley said it will not comment on pending legal matters.
“The resort is at fault for not taking proper action,” said Sykes.
Why did it take three years to file the lawsuit? Sanderson said he wasn’t thinking clearly for a long time after the crash. He said he made contact with Paltrow’s people and thought there might be some sort of settlement. He also said he had trouble finding the right attorney for the case. Ultimately, he said he wants the truth to be told.
“I have some pride in the truth, and so I guess maybe that’s why I push forward,“ said Sanderson.
