Gwyneth Paltrow wins ski accident lawsuit, says she sued for $300,000 to defend her integrity

Gwyneth Paltrow has won a ski accident lawsuit against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, who claimed she caused a crash in 2016 that left her with permanent brain damage.

A jury has ruled Sanderson, 76, responsible for an accident at a luxury Utah ski resort seven years ago. It took jurors just two hours and 20 minutes to deliver a verdict on Thursday.

As the judge read out the verdict in the Park City courtroom, Paltrow’s seriousness softened and she looked at the lawyers with a faint smile.

As Paltrow left the courtroom, she touched Sanderson’s shoulder and said, “I wish you the best of luck.”

He replied: “Thank you.”

The decision comes after eight days of live streaming of court testimony that have drawn audiences around the world and become a pop culture staple.

Terry Sanderson, 76, is seen leaving a Utah courtroom on Thursday.

“Good luck to you,” the actress said to her opponent, Terry Sanderson, before leaving the Park City courtroom.

Paltrow’s legal team, led by Stephen Owens, thanked the jury for their efforts

Gwyneth Paltrow has won a lawsuit against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, alleging she caused a skiing crash in 2016 that left her with permanent brain damage.

A jury has found 76-year-old Sanderson responsible for the crash at a luxury Utah ski resort. It was a minute.

The actress smiled and waved at the photographer as she left the courtroom, but declined to comment.

Paltrow’s attorney read out a statement from the actress outside the courtroom.

Stephen Owens, who represents the actress, said: “We are pleased with the outcome and appreciate the consideration of the judge and jury.

“Gwyneth has a history of standing up for what is right and this situation is no different. She will continue to stand up for what is right.

Her representative issued a statement.

“I felt my integrity was compromised by acquiescing to false claims,” ​​Paltrow said.

“We are pleased with the outcome. We thank Judge Holmberg and the jury for their hard work. We thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case.”

Meanwhile, a demoralized Mr Sanderson said he stood by his view despite losing the case.

When asked what he planned to do next, he joked: “Maybe Disneyland!”

As Paltrow left the courtroom, she touched Sanderson’s shoulder and said, “I wish you the best of luck.”

The actress smiled and waved to the photographer as she left the courtroom.

Meanwhile, a demoralized Sanderson said he supports his version despite losing the case

Sanderson’s attorney, Christine Van Orman, said outside the court that she wasn’t obsessed with Paltrow, saying, “I’ve been a lawyer for 30 years and the jury never surprises me.” No,’ he added.

Of Sanderson, she added: “He’s in pain. He’s a very nice person.”

The dismissal ended two weeks of court proceedings, which were primarily concerned with reputation rather than the monetary damages at issue in this lawsuit.

Paltrow’s attorneys described the complaint against her as “complete BS,” making the Goop founder and CEO uniquely vulnerable to unfair and frivolous lawsuits because of her celebrity. described.

Paltrow took the witness stand during the trial, claiming the conflict wasn’t her fault, and described how she was surprised when she felt “a body pressed against me and a very strange moan.” Did.

Sanderson, a father of three, says the actress skied at him while letting out “the most hysterical scream you’ve ever heard,” but Paltrow said he slammed into her. She lost half a day of skiing.

Sanderson filed a suit for damages in January 2019, originally seeking $3.1 million. A judge reduced the sum to his $300,000 as compensation for the injuries he suffered.

Sanderson explained on the stand that Paltrow punched him in the back.

Paltrow’s account of his clash with Terry Sanderson was shown in an animated reconstruction as the defense claims it was he who actually hit the actress in the back.

Paltrow then filed a counterclaim seeking cover for the iconic $1 and her legal costs.

Sanderson’s attorneys tried to portray their client as someone who was lively and active before the accident, but changed drastically after the accident.

He said she hit him so hard in his back that he was left with “permanent traumatic brain injury, four broken ribs, pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment in life, emotional distress, and disfigurement.” It claims that

Mr Sanderson told the court, “I just remember everything being great, but I heard something I’d never heard on the ski slopes. It was a scream that made my blood boil.

“And boom, someone was going out of control, hitting a tree and nearly dying. That’s me [remembered] until you get hit

“I was hit hard in the back … right on the shoulder blade, with a fist and a stick just below the shoulder blade, it was a serious, serious blow,” he added. I never fell.”

Gwyneth Paltrow (far right) reacted during Thursday’s closing arguments in her ski accident trial, with Terry Sanderson’s attorney (middle) telling jurors she was wrong.

Paltrow gives Sanderson a stunned look before turning to her attorney, who called the testimony “ridiculous.” said to

In his complaint, Sanderson alleges that Paltrow “got up, turned, skied away” without calling for help, and “passed out, lay in the snow, and was seriously injured.”

Paltrow and her team said ski instructors were on site and helped Sanderson.

Paltrow’s team argued that Sanderson’s decline, while very sad, was unrelated to the accident and pointed to previous medical problems.

They also emphasized that Sanderson’s daughter Jenny said her relationship with her father had been troubled over the years.

And they repeatedly pointed out that Sanderson had been emailing his daughters saying, “I’m famous.”

Paltrow testified in court that Sanderson approached her from behind and skis got entangled.

Audiences around the world followed the celebrity trial like a TV episode. Viewers scrutinized both Paltrow’s and Sanderson’s motives, and lawyers questioned the witnesses, but it had less to do with the conflict and more often with the client’s reputation.

The trial took place in Park City, a resort town known for hosting the annual Sundance Film Festival. Here, Paltrow appeared at the premieres of her films, including her 1998 “Sliding Door,” early in her career. An actor, not a lifestyle influencer.

Paltrow is also known for roles in the films ‘Shakespeare in Love’ and ‘Iron Man’.