Gwyneth Paltrow is in a ski collision trial

Opening Statement in the Accidental Death of Gwyneth Paltrow, 76, in a Salt Lake City, Utah Snowpark

The actress and businesswoman was present in the Park City, UT courtroom as a jury was seated and opening statements began in the case. Terry Sanderson, 76, has accused her of crashing into him and causing him serious injuries while they were both skiing on a Utah mountain in Feb. 2016.

According to court documents, which were obtained by CNN, Paltrow knocked a man out, causing a brain injury and four broken ribs, while skiing at Deer Valley Resort.

After initially suing Gwyneth Paltrow for $3.1 million, the man has amended his complaint and is now seeking over $300,000 in damages according to court documents.

Attorneys for both sides introduced themselves to the court before the opening statements were made by the lawyers for each side.

It is unclear if Paltrow will take the stand but her attorney told the jury some family members who were skiing with her at the time of the incident will testify.

Lawrence Buhler, an attorney for Sanderson, began opening arguments stating, “Distracted skiers cause crashes. It was dangerous for Gwyneth Paltrow to look up the mountain and to side while skiing down the mountain.

Stephen Owens told the jury that the actress bolted from the mountain after ramming into him.

A Countersuit against Sanderson for Misleading a Footstep Towards the Solution of a “Full Body Blow”

“You’re going to feel sorrow for [Sanderson] but that’s not why you’re here. You’re here to figure out if someone negligently crashed into someone or if no one did,” he noted.

Meantime, the Oscar-winning actress and entrepreneur filed her own countersuit about a month after Sanderson in 2019. In it, she recounted the events of the day, blaming him for the crash. She described him being uphill from her and her family when he suddenly plowed into her back, delivering a “full body blow.” According to Paltrow, she was angry and he apologized.

On Wednesday morning, Paltrow’s attorney Steve Owens raised an objection to a still photographer in the courtroom transmitting a photo of her. Judge Kent Holmberg agreed it was a violation of the court’s decorum order, explaining still images of the proceedings should “follow the mic.” The reporter’s camera was taken away and the judge said it would be taken away if something happened again.

After the collision, he stopped doing many activities he’d been doing before, according to an x-ray man.