Prosecuted after ski accident, Gwyneth Paltrow wins trial

UPDATE DAY

American actress Gwyneth Paltrow, accused of being the cause of a 2016 skiing accident in Utah, emerged cleared from her trial on Thursday, thus avoiding paying damages- interest requested by the prosecution. 

The jury of a court in this state in the western United States unanimously found that Ms. Paltrow, famous in particular for her role as Pepper Potts in the Iron Man films, was not responsible for the accident with a retired health professional, Terry Sanderson.

“I am happy with this outcome,” said Gwyneth Paltrow after the verdict was announced. “I feel that allowing false allegations to pass called into question my integrity,” she added.

The trial, broadcast live from the small town of Park City, provoked intense media interest around the world – and also among Internet users, who multiplied the humorous diversions of the images of the hearing.

The actress obtained the symbolic dollar that she claimed, the jury estimating, after three hours of deliberation, that it was on the contrary Mr. Sanderson who had caused the accident.

76-year-old Mr Sanderson, an optometrist, claimed the collision at an upscale Rocky Mountain resort had broken four of his ribs and caused lasting psychological damage, launching a lawsuit in 2019 against Ms Paltrow. He was asking for damages of $3.3 million.

During their closing arguments, Mr. Sanderson's lawyers argued that their client should be compensated for the irreversible brain damage he had suffered and that affect their 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 to a sum of “3,276,000 dollars for the 17 years that Terry must deal with this irreversible brain damage”.

Without success.

“For the pleasure”

At the heart of the case, the question was which skier had struck the other.

According to the complainant, Gwyneth Paltrow ran into 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 “was not going fast” and that she got scared when Mr. 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's not fair.”

The trial, which lasted more than a week, saw the presentation of specific details about Mr. Sanderson's health, including pre-existing medical conditions.

Some of his family members also testified to describe a man with a difficult character, even before the accident.

At the beginning of the case, Stephen Owens had claimed that the optometrist was “obsessed” with the complaint and that the case was based on “false allegations”.

As she left the courtroom, the actress approached the dismissed plaintiff to talk to him . The latter later said that she wished him “the best for the future”.