Gwyneth Paltrow, an honorable actress and the head of the wellness company Goop, was brought up in a 2016 ski accident lawsuit.
The actress countersued the first plaintiff after contesting the allegations.
Now that the decision is made, folks are startled… Read on to discover more.
Because of her wellness company Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow is frequently associated with a highly opulent lifestyle.
People were eager to learn more about her highly publicized trial when word of it spread.
Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist, had filed a lawsuit against Paltrow over an alleged 2016 incident. On February 26, 2016, Sanderson and Paltrow were involved in a collision at Utah’s Deer Valley Ski Resort. The two parties did not agree on many additional details surrounding the accident, other from the date and location where it happened.
The trial started on March 21, 2023, and both parties took a break on March 30 to let the jury consider the evidence and render a decision.
Sanderson filed his original complaint in January 2019, in which he accused Paltrow of having “skied out of control” into him. As a result of that, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.”
The damages he sought in his complaint were reduced from $3.1 million to $300,000 the following month.
But Paltrow filed a countersuit in February 2019. She claimed it was Sanderson who “plowed into her back,” and delivered a “full ‘body blow’,” leaving her “shaken and upset.” As a result, she said she sustained “relatively minor” injuries.
She called the case a attempt to exploit her celebrity and wealth.” She asked for “symbolic damages” of $1 “plus her costs and attorneys’ fees” for having to defend herself against “this meritless claim.”
The jury had to reach a conclusion on who was to blame for the collision based on the testimony they had heard from Paltrow and Sanderson during the trial.
In Sanderson’s testimony, he claimed he had been downhill while Paltrow had been uphill. “There was nothing in front of me.” He described his recollection as hearing a “blood-curdling scream” before he “got hit in my back so hard.” After that he says, “everything [was] black.”
“I tried to move, and I could not move a limb. I couldn’t move my head. I couldn’t move my body,” the retired optometrist said. “Nothing was responding.”
As a result of the accident, he said his personality has changed. He said his speech is now “upside-down and backward.” He also said he doesn’t feel “as engaged” in activities and no longer does he “have that same spark” as he did before, calling himself a “self-imposed recluse.”
Paltrow’s testimony however told a completely different story about the accident. She recalled skiing that day with her daughter Apple and son Moses, and her husband Brad Falchuk (who at the time was only her boyfriend).
She stated, “Mr. Sanderson skied directly into my back.” She said she was “extremely upset” in the aftermath of the crash.
When Sanderson’s attorney asked her whether she had “some sympathy for Mr. Sanderson’s declining brain,” she added, “I really do. I feel sorry for him. It seems like he’s had a very difficult life.”
“But I did not cause the accident,” she firmly stated. “So I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him.”
The trial heard testimonies from various people including two of Sanderson’s children, Sanderson’s ex-girlfriend, a person Sanderson’s attorney claims is the sole witness to the crash, a ski expert, Deer Valley employees, and more.
The jury unanimously sided with Paltrow who was incredibly pleased with the verdict. She said in a statement, “I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity.” “I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case.”
Paltrow’s attorney, Steve Owens, also said in a statement, “We are pleased with this unanimous outcome and appreciate the judge and jury’s thoughtful handling of the case. Gwyneth has a history of advocating for what she believes in — this situation was no different and she will continue to stand up for what is right.”
Many witnesses observed the famous actress bending toward Sanderson as she left the courtroom and saying, “I wish you well,” at that very moment.
The actress successfully defended herself through the court system. What are your thoughts on this trial? Tell us in the comments section below.
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