(CNN) Gwyneth Paltrow wins civil lawsuit over 2016 ski collision
A Utah jury on Thursday found Paltrow, the Oscar-winning actor and Coop’s founder and CEO, not liable and ruled in his favor on a counterclaim against the man who sued him.
Terri Sanderson, a retired optometrist, is suing Paltrow over injuries sustained when the two collided at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, seven years ago.
The jury in Civil investigation They deliberated for more than two hours before handing down their verdict in favor of Paltrow, who testified that Sanderson slid onto her back because she was leaning away from him.
A test Started on March 21.
Sanderson’s attorney on Thursday asked the jury to consider his client’s brain injury and life expectancy, recommending that the jury award Sanderson $3.2 million.
Sanderson’s complaint alleges more than $300,000 in damages.
Paltrow testified Last week said Sanderson as he slid into her. She sought $1 in damages and attorneys’ fees in her counterclaim.
After the verdict was read, Paltrow released a statement through her attorneys.
“I felt that accepting a false plea compromised my integrity. I am pleased with the outcome and appreciate all the hard work of Judge Homberg and the jury and their thoughtfulness in handling this case,” Paltrow said.
His attorney, Steve Owens, also released a statement.
“We are pleased with this unanimous decision and appreciate the judge and jury’s thoughtful handling of this case,” he said. “Gwyneth has a history of standing up for what she believes in – this situation is no different and she will continue to stand up for what’s right.”
Sanderson spoke to reporters outside court.
After the verdict was read, she said she saw Paltrow put a hand on her shoulder and told her, “I wish you well.”
He later said he believed “she thinks she has the truth,” but insisted during the trial that she had not presented any “lies.”
Sanderson’s attorney, Christine VanOrnum, said she has a “newfound appreciation” for Paltrow when asked about media coverage and interest in the trial.
“If she has to deal with all of this on a daily basis, I can’t even imagine, and I feel for her,” he told reporters after saying he was “not starstruck.”
Concluding arguments
Before the jury was sent to deliberate, Sanderson’s attorney, Robert Sykes, rejected claims that Sanderson was seeking fame and attention by presenting his case to the court.
“Part of him will always be on that hill,” Sykes said in his closing arguments. “We hope you will help bring Terry home from that mountain with today’s just verdict.”
Owens, meanwhile, insisted that for Paltrow it was an issue of right and wrong, and that it would be “easy” for Paltrow to “just write a check and get it over with,” but said it was “wrong.”
“It’s really wrong that he hurt her and he wants to get money from her,” he told the jury.
He later said, “He deserves to be here today, but he doesn’t deserve to be rewarded for hurting her.”
Paltrow’s lawyer, James Egan, addressed the opposing side’s arguments in his closing argument, saying, “Ms. Paltrow also wants him off the mountain, but she shouldn’t be responsible for the cost.”
Key Evidence
Paltrow told the jury that she went with her two children, then-boyfriend Falchuck, and his two children on the first day of the trip to Deer Valley.
He testified that two skis came between his skis, forcing his legs apart, and that he heard a “whooping sound” when he felt a body press against his back before they both collapsed together.
Paltrow didn’t ask about Sanderson’s condition after they collided, but said she stayed on the hill “just enough to say he was fine” and stood up.
During her testimony, Sanderson reiterated that it was Paltrow who slipped into her.
“I got hit really hard in my back, right in my shoulder blades, it felt like it was right in the center, the fists and the poles were on the bottom of my shoulders, serious, serious smack and I never got hit. It was hard,” Sanderson testified. “All I saw was snow.”
Sanderson sued Paltrow for exploiting her fame and fortune.
“I thought, ‘I’m not into celebrity worship,'” Sanderson told the jury after learning they were the other skier involved in the collision.
Jurors heard testimony from several expert witnesses, Sanderson’s daughters and ski resort employees. Testimony from Paltrow’s two children, Apple and Moses Martin, was also read to the jury during the trial.
