Gwyneth Paltrow‘s ski crash trial, which was closely watched on social media over the past two weeks, ended in a victory for the Goop founder. The Park City, Utah jury found her not liable for retired optometrist Dr. Terry Sanderson’s injuries after she slammed into him in Deer Valley Resort in 2016. She was awarded a symbolic $1.
The legal drama dated back to 2019, when Sanderson sued Paltrow for $3.1 million in damages, blaming her for the ongoing health problems he faced after the accident. The damages demanded were reduced to $300,000. Paltrow then countersued for only $1, plus legal fees. The case finally went to a jury earlier this month and included eight days of live-streamed testimony from Paltrow, medical experts, witnesses, and ski resort staff. In his closing arguments, Paltrow’s attorney, Stephen Owens, said she was “pounded like a punching bag” during the trial and Sanderson was “not entitled to be rewarded for hurting her,” reports The Hollywood Reporter.
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Paltrow, 50, and Sanderson, 76, each claimed the other was at fault during the trial. Paltrow, an experienced skier, was with her children and an instructor on a beginner run at the time of the accident. She tried to keep on a side of the slope for slower skiers. Sanderson, who lacks vision in his right eye, and Paltrow collided on the slope.
While pleading Paltrow‘s case to the jury, Owens said Sanderson’s daughter “said he would be dishonest for notoriety or money.” Sanderson should not get to “throw a $3 million bombshell in the courtroom, call [Paltrow] ‘King Kong’ and walk away” with a legal victory, Owens said. The lawyer also noted that Paltrow could have just settled the case and avoided spending two weeks in court, but she didn’t want to see someone rewarded for hurting her.
“We asked you for a dollar. Not because she had to [stop skiing] early and get a massage, but because it screwed up a very carefully planned, important time in her life [with then-boyfriend Brad Falchuk and both their kids],” Owens said. “Thank heavens the family melded together. But we want our dollar.” Owens also claimed Sanderson wore a GoPro camera at the time of the crash that could have vindicated Paltrow, but the footage mysteriously disappeared. He also tried to discredit Sanderson’s claim he lost consciousness for about two minutes after the crash.
During the trial, Paltrow’s lawyers claimed their evidence showed Sanderson was facing physical difficulties before the accident and his post-crash health problems were natural progressions. Late Wednesday, her team showed Sanderson’s social media travel posts, showing that he continued traveling the world after the accident. They said this disproved his claim that he became a “recluse” with “permanent traumatic brain injury… suffering and lose of enjoyment of life.” Her attorney asked Sanderson questions about each photo to show that his memory remained strong.
Paltrow delivered clear and concise testimony, in stark contrast to Sanderson’s sometimes meandering answers. “I was hit by Mr. Sanderson and he was at fault,” Paltrow said. “I feel very sorry for him. It seems like he’s had a difficult life. But I did not cause the accident so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him.” Paltrow’s family was expected to take the stand, but they didn’t. Brad Falchuk, now Paltrow’s husband, did not testify, while the jury was read deposed testimony from her children, who were not in the courtroom.
