Gwyneth Paltrow slammed as ‘reckless’ as she is sued for skiing accident

American actress Gwyneth Paltrow has been accused of “conscious disregard for people” as she is sued for a skiing accident.

The actor and founder of the Goop wellness empire has faced court accused of causing an accident that left a doctor with brain damage.

Academy Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s “conscious disregard for people” led her to run into a retired optometrist on the ski slopes — leaving him with a traumatic brain injury, a court heard on Tuesday.

The attorney for Dr Terry Sanderson — who is suing Ms Paltrow over the February 26, 2016, “hit and run” crash — branded the health-conscious star callous and “reckless” as the two sides faced off in a Park City courtroom for the first day of trial.

“Distracted skiers cause crashes. Defendant Gwyneth Paltrow knew that looking up the mountain and to the side, while skiing down the mountain, was dangerous,” lawyer Lawrence D. Buhler said in his opening statement.

“And she knew that skiing that way... was reckless,” he told the jury.

Mr Sanderson, 69, is accusing Ms Paltrow, 50, of causing him permanent brain damage after she allegedly ploughed into him and fled at Deer Valley Resort. The former Army optometrist is seeking US$300,000 in damages from the Goop founder, the New York Post reports.

Gwyneth Paltrow in court in Utah. Picture: Rick Bowmer-Pool/Getty Images

Paltrow shielded her face with a blue notebook as she exited the courtroom. Picture: Rick Bowmer-Pool/Getty Images

Paltrow’s initials ‘GP’ are monogrammed on the book. Picture: Rick Bowmer-Pool/Getty Images

Ms Paltrow countersued the retired vet, insisting he was the one who ran into her and that she stayed at the scene. She is asking the court to force Sanderson to pay her legal fees and a paltry US$1 in damages.

Mr Sanderson’s attorney told jurors Ms Paltrow was skiing down a green hill with her two children, her future husband, Brad Falchuk, and four instructors when she slammed into his client from behind.

The actress, Mr Buhler said, spent “thousands of dollars a day” on multiple instructors for her young children, which allowed the family to skip lines.

“Ms Paltrow has been skiing since she was 3 years old, she considers herself an intermediate skier. She has skied about a half a dozen times at Deer Valley ski resort,” he told the court.

Paltrow is accused of causing a skiing accident. Picture by Rick Bowmer-Pool/Getty Images)

Ms Paltrow fell on top of Mr Sanderson, Mr Buhler said, causing the former doctor to break four ribs and sustain a concussion.

Afterwards, Ms Paltrow allegedly “bolted” from the scene. One of the star’s ski instructors asked Mr Sanderson’s friend if he understood “that your buddy just took out Gwyneth Paltrow,” the attorney claimed.

Mr Sanderson, who was briefly unconscious following the crash, was evaluated by first aid workers at the resort before going to a health care facility in Park City, Mr Buhler said.

The following day, he was also seen in the emergency room at the VA hospital.

Paltrow arriving at court. Picture:TheImageDirect.com

The actress wore a long olive green coat. Picture: TheImageDirect.com

Mr Sanderson’s attorneys say their client still suffers from brain injury symptoms years after the crash.

Ms Paltrow, wearing a cream-coloured sweater, was mostly emotionless in court. She briefly shook her head when her attorney, Steve Owens, took issue with Buhler’s description of how she “bolted” from the crash site.

Sources close to the Oscar winner told The Post that Ms Paltrow is planning to take the stand in her own defence, and the actress was in court Tuesday to kick off the trial.

Prior to her own attorneys’ statements, Ms Paltrow entered and exited the court with a blue notebook covering her face.

This story first appeared in the New York Post and is reproduced with permission.