Pablo Luna
Iron Man star, Gwenyth Paltrow, won the lawsuit filed against her by Dr. Terry Sanderson. Sanderson sued the famous actress for a 2016 skiing accident in which the retired optometrist claimed that Paltrow ran into him at the Deer Valley Resort. Sanderson sued Paltrow for millions of dollars, but the actress counter-sued for only $1 and won both cases.
With eight days of witness testimonies and about 30 million people watching the proceeding live over several weeks, Sanderson stated that Paltrow hit him while skiing and injured him. While Sanderson, 76, claimed that he is blind in his left eye, medical and legal experts found that he was not completely blind in his eye and that he was a black diamond skier who actually ran into Paltrow who was down the slope beneath him when the accident happened.
Some experts believe Sanderson wanted to make money off Paltrow who is a celebrity because he is retired and in need of money. Experts also found that Paltrow, 50, is a moderately experienced skier and that the incident with the optometrist ruined her vacation with her family. She claimed to have borne the burden that came with the litigation for almost 7 years.
Ultimately, the jury sided with her and awarded her compensation for $1 – the amount she sought. On leaving the courtroom in Utah on Thursday, Paltrow placed a hand on Sanderson’s shoulder and whispered something to him. When reporters caught up with Sanderson outside the court, he told them that the actress said “I wish you well” and that he had also responded, “Thank you, dear.”
The former optometrist expressed disappointment with the ruling of the jury, saying they assumed Paltrow was speaking the truth because she is a celebrity actress who went on to win an Oscar.
“You get some assumed credibility from being a famous person,” he said. “Who wants to take on a celebrity? No wonder I hesitated, right? It’s difficult. Who wants to do that? Someone who learns lines, learns how to play someone else’s part and be believable, be credible, wins awards? Who wants to go on that path?”
In a statement released later through her lawyers, Paltrow said “I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity. 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.”
