A retired optometrist suing Gwyneth Paltrow was questioned by her legal team on Wednesday over the various physical activities he performed while traveling the world following a 2016 skiing collision.
Paltrow’s lawyers called 76-year-old Terry Sanderson back to the witness box within the last hour of their last full day to present witnesses.
They presented several photos as evidence of Sanderson’s travels around the globe, questioning the plaintiff, whose lawyers said he suffered a brain injury from an accident at Deer Valley Resort in Utah that reportedly prevented him from having fun with his amusements.
Pictures and Facebook posts presented to the court showed Sanderson riding a camel in Morocco, climbing Machu Picchu in Peru, abseiling and biking, climbing along with his girlfriend, doing Zumba, playing miniature golf, exploring an escape room and more – all this after the Paltrow skiing accident.
“Have you ever been to Peru?” Paltrow’s attorney, Steven Owens, questioned Sandersonin keeping with The Independent. “Walking along the Golden Trail? […] Have you ever done a zip line? […] Have you ever gone to Europe? […] Have you ever been to the Netherlands 3 times? […] Have you ever ridden bikes? Are there bus tours?
Sanderson answered yes to every of the short succession questions.
Based on the evidence, the retired doctor has visited the Netherlands 3 times, Morocco and Belgium twice, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Thailand, Peru and Costa Rica at the least once since 2016.
Earlier in the method Sanderson’s team had a health worker, and members of the family testified that he was now not capable of enjoy his normal, lively lifestyle resulting from the injuries sustained within the accident.
A specialist in neuroradiology said Sanderson showed signs of brain damage that modified his behavior and personality.
The retired doctor was now not doing lots of the activities he loved to do before his accident and was struggling to keep up relationships with family members, his lawyer said.
“Terry was a high-functioning, lively person,” Dr. Wendell Gibby told jurors last week. “He did a lot of things day by day. Group meetings, wine tasting, skiing, volunteering. After the accident, he deteriorated rapidly and stopped doing lots of the activities he loved.”
Paltrow’s team also called several experts to testify on Wednesday.
They claimed that Sanderson’s declining cognitive abilities were resulting from aging, not a skiing accident.
They even said that his mind was in decline a few years before the catastrophe with the star.
In the course of the cross-examination, Sanderson’s lawyers sought to prove that his travels were a part of his recovery efforts and desire to return to his normal routine – which frequently included traveling across the country and the world.
“Have you usually traveled in your life?” his attorney Kristin VanOrman asked her client.
Sanderson said he did, at the least since he retired.
“Did you ever tell the jury or attempt to insinuate during this trial that you just couldn’t travel?”
“Absolutely not,” replied the previous doctor, in keeping with the Independent.
“Looking back at the moment, I used to be determined to prove that I had no mental problems,” he told the court. “All I did was mark it on my record that this guy is trying very hard.”
Sanderson said that despite the smiling photos he posted on social media, he “struggled” on a lot of these outings.
“I could now not walk alone, and I discovered that out the hard way when [my girlfriend] Robin has decided she doesn’t like me anymore after five years,” he added, in keeping with the publication.
A former doctor claimed Paltrow, 50, was skiing recklessly when she collided with him from behind – but Paltrow said Sanderson collided along with her.
Sanderson is searching for $300,000 in damages from the famous actress, who counter-sued for $1 in damages, in addition to the prices of her legal fees.
Each side are expected to deliver their closing arguments on Thursday. Then, the eight-member jury will start deliberations.
With postal wires