Jury sides with Gwyneth Paltrow in ski crash trial

The jury sided with Gwyneth Paltrow in the civil trial over a 2016 ski crash involving her and Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist.

The jury unanimously found Sanderson 100% at fault in the ski crash after just over two and a half hours of deliberation. They awarded Paltrow $1 in damages.

“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” Paltrow said in a statement. “I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case.”

Paltrow’s attorney, Steve Owens, said in a statement, “We are pleased with this unanimous outcome and appreciate the judge and jury’s thoughtful handling of the case. Gwyneth has a history of advocating for what she believes in – this situation was no different and she will continue to stand up for what is right.”

The civil trial centered on a ski accident involving Paltrow and Sanderson that occurred on Feb. 26, 2016, at Deer Valley Ski Resort in Utah.

The trial began on March 21 and both sides rested on March 30, handing the case over to the jury for deliberation.

Sanderson’s original complaint, filed in January 2019, accused Paltrow of having “skied out of control” into Sanderson and “knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.”

Paltrow filed a countersuit in February 2019 in which she claimed it was Sanderson who “plowed into her back,” delivering a “full ‘body blow'” and leaving her “shaken and upset.” Ultimately, she said she sustained “relatively minor” injuries.

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