Gwyneth Paltrow prevails in a ski accident case.
In the civil case involving a ski collision in 2016, Gwyneth Paltrow won.
The creator and CEO of Goop, Paltrow, an Oscar-winning actor, was found not at fault by a Utah jury on Thursday. She also prevailed in her lawsuit against the plaintiff.
A retired ophthalmologist named Terry Sanderson sued Paltrow for allegedly causing him permanent harm in their over seven-year-old collision at Park City, Utah’s Deer Valley Resort.
After a little more than two hours of deliberation, the jury in the civil trial found in Paltrow’s favor. Paltrow testified that Sanderson slid into her back while they were both skiing downhill.
The trial got under way on March 21.
The lawyer for Sanderson proposed that the jury pay Sanderson $3.2 million on Thursday, requesting that they take into account the client’s brain impairment and prognosis. In his complaint, Sanderson claimed damages of more than $300,000. Last week, Paltrow claimed in court that Sanderson had skied into her. In her suit, she requested $1 in damages and received those sums in addition to legal costs.
Through her attorneys, Paltrow issued a statement following the reading of the verdict.
“I believed that my integrity was compromised by agreeing to a fraudulent assertion. I am happy with the result, and I appreciate Judge Holmberg’s and the jury’s hard work. I also want to thank them for their consideration in how they handled this matter, Paltrow stated.
Steve Owens, her lawyer, also issued a statement.
He stated, “We are happy with this unanimous decision and appreciate the court and jury’s careful consideration of the evidence. Gwyneth has a history of standing up for what she believes in; this instance was no different, and she will keep doing so.
Outside of the court, Sanderson spoke with reporters.
He said that Paltrow wished him well when she was seen resting her hand on his shoulder following the announcement of the decision.
Later, he admitted that he thinks “she feels she has the truth,” but insisted that there were no “falsehoods” he presented throughout the trial.
When asked about the trial’s media coverage and interest, Sanderson’s attorney Kristin VanOrnum responded that she has a “newfound appreciation” for Paltrow.
She told reporters that she was “not starstruck,” but added, “If she has to deal with all of this on a daily basis, I can’t even comprehend and I feel for her on that.”
Final arguments
When the jury was instructed to deliberate, Sanderson’s lawyer, Robert Sykes, refuted allegations that Sanderson brought his case to court in an effort to get notoriety and publicity.
In his closing remarks, Sykes stated that “part of him will always be on that mountain.” “We are hoping that you will assist in returning Terry from the mountain with a just decision for today.”
It would be “simple” for Paltrow to “write a check and be done with it,” Owens claimed in his closing argument, but he insisted that doing so would be “wrong.” “It’s absolutely bad that he wounded her, and he wants money from her,” Owens told the jury.
“He’s entitled to be here today, but he’s not entitled to be rewarded for harming her,” he continued.
In his closing remarks, Paltrow’s attorney James Egan echoed the criticisms made by the other side, saying: “Ms. Paltrow also wants him to leave the mountain, but she shouldn’t bear the expense.
Crucial evidence
The accident, according to Paltrow, occurred on the first day of a trip to Deer Valley she was taking with her two kids, her ex-boyfriend Falchuck, and his two kids.
She claimed that two skis forced her legs apart and that she heard a “grunting noise” as a person pressed against her back before they both fell to the ground at the same time.
After their collision, Paltrow claimed she did not inquire about Sanderson’s health but instead stayed on the mountain “long enough for him to indicate that he was Alright” and to rise up. Throughout his testimony, Sanderson repeated his assertion that Paltrow collided with him while skiing.
Sanderson stated, “I’ve never been hit so hard. I got hit in my back so hard and exactly at my shoulder blades. It seemed like it was perfectly aligned and the fists and the poles were just at the bottom of my shoulder blades. All I could make out was a lot of snow.
Sanderson refuted claims that he sued Paltrow to profit from her notoriety and fortune.
After discovering she was the other skier in their incident, Sanderson told the jury, “I thought, ‘I’m not into celebrity worship.'”
The testimony of several experts, as well as that of Sanderson’s daughters and ski resort staff, was also presented to the jury. Apple and Moses Martin, Paltrow’s two children, also testified in front of the jury throughout the trial.
