The civil lawsuit in the ski crash case was won by American actress Gwyneth Paltrow after a jury found it in her favour. Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist, was suing the 50-year-old for allegedly causing permanent damage when they collided. The jury reached its verdict in favour of the Goop CEO’s counterclaim against Sanderson after deliberating for more than two hours. Scroll down to learn more!
Paltrow testified during the trial, which commenced on March 21, that Sanderson skied into her back at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah in 2016. Sanderson’s lawyer, Robert Sykes, requested that the jury give him $3.2 million despite the complaint’s claim that his losses exceeded $300,000. Robert Sykes asked the jury to take into account his client’s brain impairment and life expectancy. Paltrow’s counterclaim sought $1 in damages, which was granted.
When the decision was made public, Skyes remarked, “He’ll always have a piece of himself on that peak. We are hoping that you will assist in returning Terry from the mountain with a just decision for today. It’s truly awful that he mistreated her, and that he wants money from her,” said Paltrow’s lawyer, Steve Owens. He has a right to be here today, but he does not have a right to be compensated for harming her. James Egan, Paltrow’s additional legal counsel, continued, “Ms. Paltrow wants him off the mountain, too, but she should not be liable for the expense of it.”
Paltrow issued a statement following the court’s decision in her favour, saying, “I believed that accepting a bogus claim put my integrity at risk.” I am happy with the result, and I want to thank Judge Holmberg and the jury for their hard work and consideration throughout this case.” In a statement, Owens said, “We are happy with the jury’s unanimous decision and value how carefully the judge and jury handled the issue.” “Gwyneth has a history of standing up for what she believes in; this instance was no exception, and she will keep doing so.”
After the verdict, Paltrow put her hand on his shoulder and said, “I wish you well,” according to Sanderson, who spoke to the reporters outside of the court. She “thinks she has the truth,” he continued, but he did not offer any “falsehoods” either. The jury deliberated for several hours before reaching a verdict and heard testimony from a variety of experts, including the daughters of Sanderson, Paltrow’s husband Brad Falchuk, and their children Apple and Moses.