For some reason, I’m a bit obsessed with reading all of the articles about the Gwyneth Paltrow trial. For those of you who have not been following the trial the issue is a 2016 snow skiing accident. The Plaintiff, Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist, has accused Paltrow of crashing into him and causing him lasting injuries and brain damage while they were both skiing on a beginner’s run on a Utah mountain in February of 2016. Sanderson also claims Paltrow and her ski instructor skied away after the incident without getting him medical care.

Sanderson originally sought $3,000,000.00 in damages which was reduced, by the court,  to $300,000.00. Paltrow filed a countersuit against Sanderson in 2019 claiming that he skied into her by skiing behind her. She sought $1.00 in damages as well as counsel fees.

Paltrow testified on Friday that she was definitely hit from behind. She stated that two skis came in between her skis, forcing her legs apart and then “there was a body pressing against me and there was a very strange grunting noise.” She also testified that she and her instructor remained at the scene to confirm that the Plaintiff was okay.

I am uncertain whether my interest in the trial comes just from my experience as an attorney. I am certain that I would not be as interested in the trial if it did not involve a celebrity.

I will be very curious to see what the jury does with this testimony. As an attorney I have definitely learned one lesson; you can never ever be certain as to how a verdict will come in, whether it's a jury or a judge.

Have you been following this trial?