The Oscar-winning actress was awarded $1 in damages after a jury determined that the accident was “100%” the responsibility of retired optometrist Terry Sanderson.
Gwyneth Paltrow has prevailed in a high-profile civil case against a man who alleged she skied into him.
After finding retired optometrist Terry Sanderson “100%” responsible for the skiing mishap, the jury awarded her $1.
After eight days of hearing evidence, the jury deliberated for two hours on Thursday.
Paltrow, who was clad in a navy blazer, striped white shirt, and brown pants, did not react to the verdict.
In a statement issued after the verdict, she expressed her satisfaction with the outcome.
She stated, “I felt that accepting a false claim compromised my integrity.”
I’m happy with the result and thankful to Judge Holmberg and the jury for their hard work.
Mr. Sanderson, 76, filed a $300,000 (£242,000) lawsuit against the Hollywood actress, alleging that the 2016 collision on the slopes of Utah left him with multiple fractured ribs and severe brain injuries.
Paltrow, who is also a lifestyle influencer, denied the allegations, stating that Mr. Sanderson collided with her at the Deer Valley resort, causing her to lose “half a day of skiing.”
She countersued him for the $1 award and her attorney’s fees.
She tapped Mr. Sanderson on the shoulder as she left the courtroom and murmured something to him.
Mr. Sanderson told reporters outside the courthouse following the verdict that the actress had wished him well, describing her words as “very kind.”
“I said ‘thank you dear’,” he said.
He described the verdict as “extremely disheartening” and continued, “Being a renowned person lends you some assumed credibility.
Who desires to challenge a celebrity? A person who learns lines and how to portray another character.”
Various medical experts, ski instructors, and members of Mr. Sanderson’s and Paltrow’s families, including the actress’ children Apple and Moses Martin, testified in the Park City court case.
Mr. Sanderson became a “self-imposed recluse” and was told never to ski again.
However, Paltrow’s attorneys presented photographs of him enjoying numerous vacations after the accident.
Paltrow, a 50-year-old Oscar winner, expressed “deep sorrow” for Mr. Sanderson but denied “fault” for the mishap.
Paltrow’s defense dredged up social media posts showing him traveling the globe in the years following the accident, despite his claim that he was a changed and damaged man as a result of the accident.
During Thursday’s closing arguments, the court heard that Paltrow was threatened with a “ransom” for a “meritless claim” and that she exhibited “courage” by attending the two-week trial.
In their closing arguments, Mr. Sanderson’s attorneys stated that Paltrow was “not a liar” but was misinformed about what occurred.
