Jury: "Paltrow Not at Fault for Collision and Injury"
On the 30th (local time), actress Gwyneth Paltrow is leaving the courtroom after a ski accident compensation lawsuit trial. [Photo by AP Yonhap News]
Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow won a civil lawsuit filed against her by a man in his 70s over an accident that occurred at a ski resort seven years ago.
On the 30th (local time), a jury at the Park City District Court in Utah, USA, concluded the trial and decided to dismiss the damages claim filed by Terry Sanderson (76) against Paltrow. Despite significant differences in the arguments from both sides during the eight-day trial that began on the 21st, the jury found no fault or liability on Paltrow’s part for the collision and Sanderson’s injuries that occurred on the ski slope at the time.
Sanderson, a retired optometrist, filed a lawsuit claiming over $300,000 (about 400 million KRW) in damages after Paltrow, skiing out of control at Deer Valley Ski Resort in Utah in 2016, collided with him, breaking four of his ribs and causing a concussion. When he first filed the lawsuit in 2019, he demanded $3.1 million (about 4.1 billion KRW), but after it was dismissed, he lowered the claim to less than a tenth and refiled. In response, Paltrow filed a countersuit seeking a symbolic amount of $1 and attorney fees.
Sanderson claimed, “Paltrow fled the scene without taking appropriate post-accident measures, and I have suffered brain damage and various aftereffects from this collision.” Meanwhile, Paltrow testified, “Another skier came between my skis, and I thought I was being sexually assaulted, so I hurriedly left the spot.”
Guinness Paltrow in conversation with Terry Sanderson (76), who filed the damages lawsuit Photo by AFP Yonhap News
Sanderson also argued that he suffered significant mental distress from public criticism and humiliation accusing him of trying to damage Paltrow’s reputation for financial gain, but this claim was also rejected.
After the verdict, Paltrow released a statement saying, “Allowing false accusations to go unchallenged felt like compromising my integrity,” and added, “I am satisfied with the outcome and grateful for the hard work of the judge and jury.” Paltrow’s side also stated, “The ski trip during which the accident occurred was the first family trip with Paltrow’s current husband, Brad Falchuk, and their children,” and “It was not about money but about wasting time during a very delicate period of relationship building.”
Paltrow’s legal team explained the lengthy litigation by saying, “It would have been easier to simply write a check and settle, but what kind of lesson would that teach the children?”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
