A Utah jury found Gwyneth Paltrow "not liable" for the skiing accident for which she was being sued. In addition, the actress also won her counterclaim against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, who filed a law suit against the actress for injuries he sustained after colliding with the Oscar winner.
After deliberating for two hours, the jurors agreed with the actress, who always defended her innocence and accused Sanderson of being the one who provoked the incident. In addition, she demanded one dollar and for the costs of her defense to be covered. After learning of the verdict, the actress issued a statement:
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.
Paltrow wanted to prove her innocence
Paltrow's attorney Stephen Owens was satisfied with the verdict and stressed that his client wanted to go to trial because it was a matter of principle. For the actress, it would have been easier to "just write a check and be done with it," however, she considered that this would have been "wrong."
Sanderson, who had originally claimed $3.2 million in damages but subsequently reduced the amount to $300,000, could not hide his disappointment after hearing the jury's decision. In statements to the media, the optometrist emphasized that "she believes she has the truth," but assured that he never presented or said any "falsehood" during the trial. He also told the media that the actress, at the end of the trial put her hand on his shoulder and said "I wish you well," to which he replied "thank you, dear."
