Keanu Reeves has been sued by a rancorous paparazzo who claims to have been badly hit by the “Matrix” actor with his car in March 2007 and who now claims damages for “serious injuries” suffered in the incident.

Keanu Reeves took the stand in a Los Angeles court Tuesday, Oct. 28, as his civil trial continued. The actor defended himself, denying accusations made by Alison Silva, a photographer who claims to have been so badly hit by the actor with his car that it left him with debilitating injuries which have downgraded his earnings capacity.

Alison Silva alleges that in March 2007 an incident occurred during which Keanu Reeves drove his car negligently, hitting him so hard he fell to the ground, injuring both a knee and a wrist. Silva, 28, originally from Brazil, claims Reeves should compensate him for the pain and suffering caused, as well as for having limited his earnings capacity.

Reeves testified Tuesday that he never hit Silva with his car and that the only time his Porsche made contact with the man was when Silva bent forward and put his hand on the car’s hood. Reeves said Silva walked backwards, lost balanced and tripped over his own feet.

Asked by the photog’s lawyer whether he had warned Silva to move away from the vehicle, Reeves replied that he considered it “common sense” to move out of the way of a starting car.

He also testified that another man at the scene had asked Silva what happened, to which the photographer replied, “I am a paparazzo. He is a movie star. It was an accident.”

The 44-year-old actor had been visiting a private home in the Rancho Palos Verde suburb of Los Angeles. Reeves said he returned to the home he had been visiting and asked the hosts to call 9111, after which he returned to Silva with a glass of water the photog did not accept.