Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow has emerged victorious in a legal battle over a 2016 ski accident that left a retired Utah optometrist with broken ribs and a concussion. Terry Sanderson had filed a $300,000 lawsuit against Paltrow, claiming that she had recklessly crashed into him from behind at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort, causing him serious injury. But after deliberating for just a few hours, a jury found that Sanderson was actually the one at fault, not Paltrow.
In fact, Paltrow counter-sued Sanderson for just $1 and her legal fees, arguing that she did not cause the collision. The actress maintained that Sanderson was the one who hit her on the slope, and testified that she had initially thought she was being attacked when he came up from behind her, put his skis between hers, and groaned.
Paltrow’s version of events contradicted the account of Sanderson’s witness, Craig Ramon, who testified that he saw Paltrow slam into Sanderson from behind, leaving him briefly unconscious and facedown in the snow. Ramon said Paltrow left the scene without identifying herself or checking on Sanderson’s condition.
After the verdict, Paltrow expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, saying that acquiescing to a false claim would have compromised her integrity. She thanked Judge Holmberg and the jury for their “thoughtfulness in handling this case.”
