The 2016 Ski Collision between a Skier and a Snowman: The Case of Goop vs. Paltrow
The verdict is a blow for Sanderson, who filed the lawsuit against Paltrow seeking $300,000 in damages for the injuries he sustained after she allegedly plowed into him. It is a vindication for the Oscar-winning actress, who countersued Sanderson for $1 and legal fees, saying he was to blame for the 2016 ski collision.
A retired eye doctor has sued Gwyneth Paltrow, the founder of Goop, over injuries he says he sustained when the two collided at a resort in Utah seven years ago.
Jurors also heard from a number of expert witnesses, Sanderson’s daughters and testimony from ski resort employees. Testimony from Paltrow’s two children, Apple and Moses Martin, was also read to the jury during the trial.
Sanderson’s attorney on Thursday asked the jury to consider his client’s brain injury and life expectancy, suggesting the jury award $3.2 million to Sanderson.
He told jurors that Gwyneth Paltrow decided to take a stand in the case. Owens said that it would have been easy for Paltrow to write a check, but that would not have been correct.
Paltrow’s attorney James Egan, in his portion of closing, referred back to the opposing side’s comments, saying: “Ms. Paltrow wants him off the mountain, too, but she should not be responsible for the cost of that.”
The jury was told that on the first day of the trip, Paltrow’s then-boyfriend Falchuck and his two children were struck by a car.
She described his skis as coming between her own, forcing her legs apart and that she heard a “grunting noise” before they landed on the ground together.
The attorneys for Sanderson argued that the skier was flung in the air when she careened into him. He suffered lifelong brain damage and broke four ribs as a result.
I got hit so hard in my back that it felt like it was straight at the bottom of my shoulder blades, and I felt like I had been hit in the head. Sanderson testified that he has never been hit that hard. “All I saw was a whole lot of snow.”
The jury in Utah deliberated for less than two hours and unanimously decided that Gwyneth Paltrow was the one who was hit on the slopes of the Deer Valley Resort seven years ago.
Sanderson, 76, hung his head as Judge Kent Holmberg read the jury’s decision on Thursday afternoon. The 50-year-old actress gave the jury a small smile and curt nod while she remained expressionless.
I’m pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge and jury, as well as the thoughtfulness with which they handled this case, and thank them for their sacrifice,” she said.
The jury heard from medical and scientific experts as well as written testimony from the famous actress herself during the trial.
A Conversation with the Paltrow Family: After the Ski Resort Injugation, Sanderson’s Legal Team and Owens’ Legal Team
Buhler suggested Sanderson’s personality has changed dramatically during that period and that it has caused people to push him away. You lose your family and they’ll be with you, and perhaps the lawyers. But, really, they’re just putting up with you,” Buhler added.
The legal team for Gwyneth Paltrow claimed she was the victim in both the ski resort accident and the legal battle that has lasted for years.
Her attorney, Stephen Owens, also spent time grilling Sanderson about the severity of his injuries, questioning him about various trips and activities the retiree posted to social media after the so-called hit and run.