Industry News
Deer Valley Resort, UT is asking to be dismissed from the lawsuit where Gwyneth Paltrow is accused of crashing into and injuring a skier, contending the dispute should be settled between the Oscar-winning actress and the alleged victim, reports ABC News.
The resort is protected from responsibilities for skiing collisions under a law that takes into account the inherent dangers of skiing, said attorney Adam Strachan, representing the well-known resort during a hearing in Park City, Utah.
“Deer Valley simply has no place in this litigation,” Strachan said.
Lawrence Buhler, an attorney for the man suing the resort and Paltrow, countered that Deer Valley is responsible for the actions of a ski instructor who was with Paltrow and her family on Feb. 26, 2016. That instructor berated the injured skier and didn’t call ski patrol for help, Buhler said.
Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson suffered severe emotional distress after the instructor skied up to him as he lay face down in the snow, having suffered a concussion after Paltrow slammed into him, Buhler said.
Sanderson’s lawsuit seeks $3.1 million in damages, but he denies he’s suing because Paltrow is a celebrity. Paltrow said in a counterclaim that Sanderson was actually the one who plowed into her from behind and that he is trying to exploit her celebrity and wealth. She is seeking “symbolic damages” of $1 plus costs for her lawyers’ fees, claiming Sanderson made a “meritless claim.”
