Lawsuit Victory: Gwyneth Paltrow Prevails Following Skiing Mishap

Prosecuted for her involvement in a skiing accident at a Utah resort in 2016, American actress Gwyneth Paltrow won her case on Thursday, avoiding paying the $ 3.3 million in damages sought by the charge.

The jury of a court in this state in the western United States unanimously found that Gwyneth Paltrow, famous in particular for her role as Pepper Potts in the Iron Man films, was not responsible for the accident with retired medical professional, Terry Sanderson. The actress obtained the symbolic dollar that she claimed, the jury judging, after three hours of deliberation, that it was on the contrary Terry Sanderson who had caused the accident.

76-year-old Terry Sanderson, an optometrist, claimed the crash at an upscale Rocky Mountain resort broke four ribs and caused lasting psychological damage, launching a lawsuit in 2019 against Gwyneth Paltrow.

During their final argument before a court in Utah, Terry Sanderson’s lawyers had argued that their client should be compensated for the irreversible brain damage he suffered and which affects his quality of life. They were asking the court to award his client $33 for each hour of the day from the accident until the death of Terry Sanderson, which they estimated could take place in 10 years. The calculation comes down to a sum of “3,276,000 dollars for the 17 years that Terry must deal with this irreversible brain damage”. Without success.

“For pleasure”

At the heart of the case, the question was to know which skier struck the other. According to the plaintiff, Gwyneth Paltrow ran over him while skiing in a “dangerous” manner, before fleeing, leaving him unconscious.

The actress claims on the contrary that it was Terry Sanderson who hit her in the back. Her lawyer assures that she “wasn’t going fast” and that she got scared when Terry Sanderson appeared behind her. “He hit her. He hurt her,” the actress’ lawyer, Stephen Owens, said Thursday, “and he asked her for $3 million afterwards, just for fun. It is not fair”.

The trial, which lasted more than a week, saw specific details about Terry Sanderson’s health, including pre-existing medical conditions. Some members of his family also testified to describe a man with a difficult character, even before the accident. At the start of the case, Stephen Owens claimed the optometrist was “obsessed” with the complaint and that the case was based on “false allegations”.

(AFP)Show comments