Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial: family expected to testify on effects of collision

Two daughters of the retired optometrist who is suing Gwyneth Paltrow are expected to testify on Thursday about the lasting effects of their father and Paltrow’s 2016 ski collision, as the trial takes on an increasingly personal note.

Attorneys are expected to question Polly Grasham and Shae Herath about the broken ribs and lasting brain damage their father, Terry Sanderson, claims he sustained after he and Paltrow crashed at an upscale ski resort seven years ago.

A neurologist, Richard Boehme, and Paltrow herself could be called to testify on Thursday or Friday.

Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000, claiming she recklessly crashed into him while the two were skiing on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.

In a counterclaim, Paltrow is seeking $1 and attorney fees. The amount of money at stake for both sides pales in comparison to the typical legal costs of a multi-year lawsuit and expert witness-heavy trial.

During the first two days of trial, attorneys and medical witnesses have described how Sanderson’s injuries were likely caused by someone crashing into him from behind. They also attributed noticeable changes in Sanderson’s mental acuity to the injuries he suffered.

Paltrow’s attorneys have worked to paint Sanderson as a 76-year-old whose decline followed a normal course of aging rather than resulted from crashing into their celebrity client.

They have not yet called witnesses but in opening statements said they planned to call Paltrow’s husband, Brad Falchuk, and her two children, Moses and Apple.

Attorneys have attempted to poke holes in testimony from Sanderson’s experts and are expected to question his two daughters about their father mentioning Paltrow’s fame and an email alluding to footage recorded on a Go Pro camera that has not been found or included in evidence.

Attorneys for Paltrow have accused Sanderson of suing to exploit the actor’s wealth and celebrity. Paltrow is the Oscar-winning star of Shakespeare in Love and founder of the beauty and wellness company Goop.