Gwyneth Paltrow’s lawyer complains after actress is photographed in court
Gwyneth Paltrow’s skiing collision trial entered its third day on Thursday.
The Hollywood star and Goop CEO has been accused of crashing into Terry Sanderson, 76, on a ski slope at the Deer Valley resort in Park City in February 2016.
Mr Sanderson claims Paltrow slammed into him in a “full body hit” leaving him with “permanent traumatic brain injury, four broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and disfigurement”. Meanwhile, Paltrow claims it was Ms Sanderson who crashed into her — and that he was cognizant enough following the crash to send an email to her daughter claiming that he was “famous.”
On the third day of trial in Park City, Utah, psycho-neurologist Dr Alina Fong hit out at the defence’s claims that Mr Sanderson was exaggerating his symptoms to exploit Ms Paltrow’s celebrity status and wealth.
Fong, who opened a clinic in Boston in partnership with Tom Brady, has diagnosed Mr Sanderson with PCS (persistent post-concussive symptoms), which she said happened after the accident.
Experts hired by Ms Paltrow have yet to testify, but when asked about their scepticism about Mr Sanderson’s PCS diagnosis, Dr Fong said that she believed she was the only expert who could make that call. Previously, Ms Paltrow’s attorneys said during opening arguments that Mr Sanderson’s claims were “utter BS.”
“There’s a huge difference between going over someone’s chart in another state or across the world and having that patient in front of me crying,” Dr Fong said in a deposition shown to the jury. “I think it’s very easy to criticise someone from far away and it’s totally different when you’re in the trenches with that patient, trying to get them help.”
She added: “They have a lot of opinions and it just shows that they’re not concussion experts, specifically traumatic brain injury experts and If I’m being completely honest, a lot of their opinions are easily refutable by just going online and looking at the CDC’s recommendations for clinicians on how to treat concussions.”
Mr Sanderson is seeking $300,000 from Paltrow while she is seeking $1 in damages and for her legal fees to be covered.
