Actor Gwyneth Paltrow has been accused in a lawsuit of breaking a man’s ribs and leaving him with a concussion when she smashed into him while skiing at a Utah ski resort in 2016.

Terry Sanderson, 72, claimed during a news conference in Salt Lake City that he heard a “hysterical scream” and was then struck between his shoulder blades on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort on 26 February 2016. He remembers being thrown forward and losing control of his body before losing consciousness. An acquaintance, Craig Ramon, who witnessed the event, claimed he saw Paltrow hit him squarely in the back.

Paltrow denied the allegations through spokesperson Heather Wilson, who said in a statement: “This lawsuit is without merit and we expect to be vindicated.”

Sanderson claims in the lawsuit that the 46-year-old actor left him injured on the mountain and didn’t send for help.

Deer Valley Resort spokesperson Emily Summers said the resort can’t comment on pending legal matters. The resort is also being sued.

Terry Sanderson at 3rd District Court in Summit County, Salt Lake City on 29 January. Photograph: Leah Hogsten/AP

Sanderson said it took him almost three years to file a lawsuit because he dragged his feet, ran into problems with previous attorneys and was dealing with inability to function properly because of the concussion.

He said he had been in contact with an attorney representing Paltrow, but he had not been offered compensation or an apology. Sanderson said the actor’s representatives suggested he could be counter-sued.

Sanderson’s lawsuit seeks $3.1m in damages. He denied that he was suing Paltrow because she is a rich celebrity. He called it an unkind gesture not to stick around or ever apologise for what happened.

“I would like to be vindicated,” said Sanderson. “I would like my truth to be told.”

Attorneys for Sanderson said Paltrow’s attorneys don’t deny she was involved in a crash, but dispute her culpability, said lawyer Robert Sykes, who represents Sanderson.

The office for the attorney representing Paltrow in the case, Stephen Owens of Salt Lake City, declined comment and referred inquiries to Paltrow’s spokesperson.

Most of the details in the lawsuit are based on the memory of Ramon, because Sanderson said he doesn’t remember anything beyond being struck in the back and losing control of his body.

In a video played at the news conference, Ramon said a woman hit Sanderson in the back and the two fell forward together with the actor landing on top of Sanderson.

Ramon said that as Sanderson laid face down in the snow, knocked out, the ski instructor yelled: “What did you do? What did you do?” He also told Ramon the woman was Paltrow. She and the instructor skied down the mountain and left Sanderson alone, Ramon said.

Sykes claims Paltrow violated the reckless skiing provision of the Summit County code, which requires a skier to stay at the scene of a crash to make sure the other skier is OK.