Two witnesses took the stand Wednesday on the second day of Gwyneth Paltrow’s civil trial in Park City, Utah, over a 2016 skiing accident.
Neuropsychologist Sam Goldstein testified that Terry Sanderson, now 76, experienced an “acute change” in behavior after the collision. Sanderson said Paltrow was left with a “permanent traumatic brain injury” after crashing from behind while skiing at Deer Valley Resort. The Oscar winner is being sued for $300,000.
“He’s become obsessed with trying to get back to the level of functioning he perceived before this accident,” Goldstein said.
On cross-examination, Paltrow’s attorney, James Egan, said, “She felt like she was abandoned on the cliff and she was obsessing over it,” to which Goldstein replied, “Correct.”
GWYNETH PALTROW’S LAWYER CALLS PHOTOGRAPHERS; THE EXPERT CHANGES THE IDENTITY OF THE CLAIMS ISSUE AFTER THE ACCIDENT
Gwyneth Paltrow attends the second day of her civil trial in Park City, Utah. (Rick Bowmer)
Goldstein said Terry’s problem was more “behavioral and emotional regulation.” He added: “From his perspective, he’s not the person he was.”
Sanderson accused Paltrow of skiing at the exclusive Deer Valley Resort and skiing after the accident. The incident left her with “permanent traumatic brain injury, 4 broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life,” along with emotional distress and disfigurement, according to the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital.
Goldstein, who specializes in executive function and the cognitive appraisal system, said after the crash, “In this man’s case, his problems were more behavioral regulation and emotional regulation.”
After a series of face-to-face tests, Goldstein also recalled that Sanderson was “pretty stressed out.” He confirmed that “nowhere do I see his problem as a lack of effort”.
FIRST WITNESS IN GWYNETH PALTROW’S SKI CRASH TEST REMEMBERS RED
Egan also asked Goldstein to confirm that Sanderson “had a head injury when he was 10 years old,” and the neuropsychologist testified, “Yes.”
Earlier in the day, Dr. Wendell Gibby also testified that Sanderson’s personality changed after the collision.
Gwyneth Paltrow is expected to testify Friday in the lawsuit stemming from the 2016 skiing accident. (Rick Bowmer)
Dr. Samuel Goldstein, a neuropsychologist, testified about Sanderson’s brain trauma. (Rick Bowmer)
“Terry was a very high-functioning, high-energy person,” Gibby said. “He did many things every day. Gathering groups, wine tasting, skiing, volunteering.”
“But after his accident, he suddenly got worse, and he stopped doing a lot of the activities that he used to do, mostly… Normally, you know, he would be able to handle multiple projects at once, but he would just sit there and focus very hard on the task at hand. in one. He would go to a Home Depot, for example, and forget why he was there.’
“Her depression also worsened, so these are very typical features of someone who has had a traumatic injury,” he added.
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The jury heard from Sanderson’s friend, Craig Ramon, and his ex-girlfriend, Karlene Davidson, on Tuesday. Ramon was skiing nearby and he reportedly heard a scream before the collision.
When Paltrow’s attorney, Steve Owens, asked Ramon to recall parts of her statement, Ramon had a hard time answering “yes” or “no” questions about the incident. Owens recalled a “300-page” transcript and a statement from Ramon, but Ramon could not recall whether Paltrow was wearing a helmet, hat or goggles on the day of the crash and even took a photo with the ski patrol after the accident.
“He just had a blank look on his face,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe star recalled after the crash, which left Sanderson briefly unconscious and requiring medical attention on the slopes in addition to an emergency room visit the next day.
Dr. Wendell Gibby defended Terry Sanderson’s lawsuit against actress Gwyneth Paltrow for the accident. He said Sanderson’s head trauma was likely caused by a skier colliding with him. (Rick Bowmer)
Terry Sanderson arrives in court Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Park City, Utah. Retired optometrist is suing actress Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 ski accident at Deer Valley Resort. (Rick Bowmer)
Davidson was with Sanderson at the time of the collision and said their relationship broke down after the incident. She described Terry as “fun, cheerful and ambitious” with “lots of energy”. Davidson “had a lot of trouble keeping up with him.”
On the day of the accident, he met Sanderson at home, and when he entered, he “looked confused.” He recalled being “very pale” and complained of pain in his ribs. “I think they’ve pinpointed a little bit of a bump in the clinic,” he said.
Davidson said he “started pushing” after the accident. “He had no joy left in his life,” she recalled. “Not knowing what he was up to, I thought it was relationship status stuff, and I blame him a lot for that… and looking back now, I think there was a lot going on.”
The lawsuit also said, “Paltrow got up, turned and skied off, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured. A Deer Valley ski instructor who was coaching Ms. Paltrow, but who didn’t see the accident, skied off. Finish, Sanderson he saw the injured man and skied off, falsely accusing Sanderson of causing the accident.”
His defense says Sanderson resisted. One of Paltrow’s ski instructors reportedly asked Ramon if he knew “your friend Gwyneth Paltrow just dated.”
Paltrow’s lawyers are preparing for Paltrow to take the stand on Friday. In addition, Paltrow’s attorney said the jury will hear from her now-husband Brad Falchuk and their children, Moses, 16, and Apple, 18.
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Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
Tracy Wright is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to tracy.wright@fox.com.