Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial: After jury hears statements from actress’ children, husband may testify

PARK CITY, Utah — Gwyneth Paltrow’s lawyers are expected to continue to rely primarily on experts to mount their defense on Wednesday, the seventh day of trial regarding her 2016 skiing collision with a 76-year-old retired optometrist.

The judge presiding over the trial in Park City has made it clear that he wants Paltrow’s defense team to close their case by Thursday afternoon – to give the jury enough time to deliberate and come to a consensus.

Terry Sanderson, the Utah man suing Paltrow, is asking for more than $300,000, saying Paltrow’s recklessness on the slope caused the crash, leaving him with four broken ribs and years of post-mortem symptoms. concussions, including confusion, memory loss and irritability. Paltrow countersued for a symbolic $1 and attorney’s fees, alleging Sanderson rammed her from behind.

During the second week of the trial, it is clear that both sides have spared little expense in ensuring that they have a list of expert witnesses to call should the need arise. Despite intense time constraints, several witnesses testified longer than expected.

Paltrow’s attorneys have repeatedly asked Judge Kent Holmberg to clarify the eight-day trial schedule. They canceled plans to cross-examine Sanderson to keep time on the clock for the four expert witnesses they said they set up at a nearby hotel on Tuesday.

Like Sanderson’s attorneys, Paltrow’s legal team is trying to piece together all of the testimony from family members, doctors and an accident reconstruction expert in four days. They said on Tuesday they planned to call four additional experts to testify, but left the door open to call either Paltrow or Brad Falchuk, her television producer husband, to the stand.

SEE MORE: Gwyneth Paltrow trial: What to know about alleged ski collision, Terry Sanderson allegations

Holmberg gave Sanderson’s team the same amount of time to make their case.

Last week, Paltrow spoke out and insisted the ski collision was not his fault. His lead attorney, Steve Owens, said earlier in the week that he planned to call Paltrow’s teenagers – Moses, 16, and Apple, 18 – on the witness stand. But since Sanderson’s testimony extended into Monday, Paltrow’s legal team has read the depositions of her two teenage children for the record, instead of calling them to the stand to testify.

For the past two days, Paltrow’s defense team has relied primarily on expert witnesses, but read depositions from Paltrow’s children in the docket on Tuesday. They attempted to hold the jury’s attention by playing several high-resolution animations while their witnesses – including a collision expert, a biomedical engineer, a doctor and a ski instructor – all testified.

The animations were not included as trial evidence. Still, Sanderson’s attorneys objected to their inclusion, arguing that Paltrow’s team is using the animations to mislead the jury.

Although the trial titillated viewers around the world who consumed music videos circulated as memes on social media, it tested the jury, whose eight members gradually sank deeper into their chairs. through hours of expert testimony.

After both sides present their closing arguments on Thursday, the jury will likely make its decision later today or on Friday.