Keanu Reeves took the stand at the civil trial case a paparazzo filed against him on Tuesday. Reeves denied that he had knocked over snapper Alison Silva with his car in order to stop him from taking any more photos.

But Alison Silva is suing Reeves, saying the actor knocked him to the ground March 19, 2007, with his black Porsche, causing injuries that led to $40,000 in medical bills. Silva's lawyer said the photographer was out of work for months and now needs a $50,000 bone graft surgery on his left wrist.

Reeves, 44, was pulling away from the curb in his Porsche outside a private home in the affluent Ranchos Palos Verdes area when "in a sudden, erratic and dangerous manner, (he) drove forward and struck" photographer Alison Silva, according to the photographer's lawsuit.

The "Speed" star said he slowly moved his Porsche forward to nudge Silva out of the way. But Reeves argued, "to my recollection, I didn't hit him. I [saw] his legs cross and he [started] to kind of stumble."

"Did you hit him?" Reeves was asked by his attorney, Alfred W. Gerisch. "No," the actor replied. But under cross-examination, Silva's lawyer, Joseph Farzam, tried to nail down the Matrix man on whether he really made an effort to avoid hitting Silva, asking Reeves if he used his horn or hand signals to get Silva to move. The actor replied that it is common sense to move away when you are in front of a starting car.