"He hit her. He hurt her"

At the conclusion of the civil suit against Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow over a skiing accident, the plaintiff has sought more than $300,000 in damages from the actress. Attorney for 76-year-old Terry Sanderson said Thursday in court in Park City, Utah, that a jury should award his client compensatory damages for "permanent brain damage."

The accident injuries would have changed the life of the 76-year-old forever, the plaintiff's attorneys explained. "He didn't return home that night as the same man," attorney Robert Sykes said. A part of him stayed forever on the beginner slopes of the posh ski resort of Deer Valley.

The former optometrist accuses Paltrow of skiing uncontrollably in 2016 and ramming him. As a result, he broke four ribs and suffered a concussion. The symptoms of this were still felt years after the collision.

Paltrow's attorney Stephen Owens dismissed the claim in his closing argument. As in the past few days, the lawyer said it was not Paltrow who hit Sanderson in the accident in the Rocky Mountains. Rather, Sanderson drove into the actress.

"He hit her. He hurt her," Owens said. "And then he just asks her three million dollars. It's not fair.” Sanderson initially sought more than $3 million in damages, but the lawsuit was dismissed. The actress could have just written a check and put the matter behind her, the attorney said. "But what does that tell your children?"

Sanderson sued Paltrow in 2019. The actress has responded with a counterclaim. The Oscar winner ("Shakespeare in Love") is demanding a token dollar in damages and reimbursement of her legal fees. A jury must now decide.