Shae Sanderson accuses Gwyneth Paltrow of “ignoring” her father in a skiing accident in the mountains
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The jury in Gwyneth Paltrow’s bombing trial found she wasn’t at fault for a 2016 skiing accident.
The case dragged on for years after retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, made the allegations against Ms Paltrow in a 2019 lawsuit. Mr Sanderson claimed the Hollywood star crashed into him on February 26, 2016 on the slopes of the luxury Deer Valley Resort near Park City, Utah.
On Thursday, after a little over two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict in Ms. Paltrow’s favor, effectively awarding Ms. Paltrow a token $1. They determined that Mr. Sanderson, who was seeking $300,000 in damages, was 100% responsible for the skiing accident.
Mr Sanderson had claimed in court that he suffered permanent traumatic brain injury as a result of the collision, which robbed him of “his zest for life”.
During Thursday’s closing arguments, Mr Sanderson’s attorney, Lawrence Buhler, suggested the jury considered awarding his client $33 an hour, which he has paid since the accident seven years ago and for the ten years he is expected to will live suffered from cognitive decline.
Meanwhile, defense attorney Steven Owens told the court his client had been a “punch bag” to Mr Sanderson and his family throughout the trial.
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Gwyneth Paltrow’s prosecutor’s attorney uses a fabricated equation to claim the actor owes the client $33 an hour — $3.2 million total — for skiing injuries
But despite his arguments, the jury found Terry Sanderson “100% at fault in the accident.”
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Gwyneth Paltrow was cleared of all wrongdoing in a 2016 US lawsuit over a skiing accident, filed by retired optometrist Terry Sanderson.
After a high-profile two-week trial in Utah, a jury returned a verdict in favor of the Oscar winner in just over two hours.
Mr Sanderson had sued Ms Paltrow over seven years ago over the collision at Utah’s Deer Valley ski resort that left him with multiple broken ribs and serious head injuries.
She had denied the claim and accused Mr Sanderson of crashing into her, resulting in her losing “half a day of skiing” and being “sore” with her family.
On Thursday, the jury found Mr. Sanderson “100%” at fault for the crash and found him responsible for the injuries suffered by Ms. Paltrow.
They awarded the actress their “symbolic” counterclaim for one dollar in damages.
Ms. Paltrow and Mr. Sanderson, both of whom testified at the trial, were present in court for the sentencing.
Dressed in a blue blazer, white shirt and brown pants, the actress didn’t seem to react to the sentencing, instead taking a deep breath.
As she left the courtroom, she touched Mr. Sanderson on the shoulder and whispered something to him.
She previously said she was “very sorry” that his health had deteriorated after the incident, but claimed she wasn’t “at fault” and said she was the “victim”.
Mr. Sanderson’s attorneys previously suggested that the jury award him more than $3 million in damages in the case.
Andrea Blanco31. March 2023 06:00
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Andrea Blanco31. March 2023 05:00
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Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault in ski collision, jury says
The jury found Terry Sanderson at fault in the February 26, 2016 collision with Ms. Paltrow on the slopes of the luxury Deer Valley Resort near Park City, Utah.
The decision comes after two weeks of complex testimonies from neurology and brain injury experts for both sides. Eyewitnesses, Deer Valley employees, Ms. Paltrow’s children Apple and Moses, and Mr. Sanderson’s daughters also testified under oath.
The ruling effectively awards Ms. Paltrow a token $1.
Andrea Blanco31. March 2023 04:00
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“character assassination”
On leaving the courthouse, when asked what factors would have determined the outcome, he said: “It should have been the facts of the accident because the accident brought about the absolute truth. There was no reason to deviate from it, and still won’t, and that’s why I brought it with me.
“I wanted to see if there was justice in situations like this, but it becomes character assassination … it becomes things that you thought were long gone in your life, things from thirty years ago, things from forty years ago that are meaningless should.”
He added: “You get a certain assumed credibility when you’re a celebrity… who wants to take on a celebrity? No wonder I hesitated. It’s tough. Who wants to do that [versus] Someone who learns lines, learns to play someone else’s role and be believable, be believable, win awards? Who wants to go that route?” When asked if he thinks Paltrow lied, he said, “I think she thinks she has the truth … but I absolutely know I said I wouldn’t bring falsehoods. “
He said he was “very disappointed” by the verdict, but thought it was “very kind” of Paltrow to wish him well after the verdict.
Io Dodds31. March 2023 03:49
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Sanderson jokes that he’ll be going to Disneyland next
After the trial, Mr. Sanderson told reporters he wasn’t sure the lawsuit was worth it, arguing that people naturally tend to believe celebrities like Paltrow.
“You get a certain assumed credibility when you’re a famous person,” he said, according to the AP. “Really, who wants to take on a celebrity?”
Mail Online described Mr Sanderson as “deflated” but stood by his version of events. When asked what he’s up to next, he reportedly joked, “Maybe Disneyland!”
Mr. Sanderson’s extensive travel abroad before and after the skiing accident was a central issue in the lawsuit, in which Paltrow’s attorneys sought to show his injuries were not as life-changing as he had claimed.
Io Dodds31. March 2023 03:35
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‘I wish you all the best’
What did Gwyneth Paltrow say to Terry Sanderson on her way out of the envelope?
Photos from the court showed the star leaning in close to her former opponent and delivering him one final message, prompting intriguing speculation as to what she was saying.
According to the Associated Press, Mr. Sanderson told reporters that she touched his shoulder and whispered “I wish you well.” He said he replied: “Thank you dear.”
Io Dodds31. March 2023 03:19