A Utah jury has reached a verdict in the civil trial pitting Gwyneth Paltrow against Terry Sanderson, the retired optometrist who accused the Oscar-winning actress of seriously injuring him in a 2016 ski collision.
The jury found in favor of Paltrow, concluding that Sanderson — not Paltrow — was the one at fault for the crash on the slopes at Deer Valley Resort.
Sanderson had sued Paltrow for $300,000, claiming she had slammed into him from behind, leaving him with four broken ribs, a brain injury, and lasting cognitive impairment.
The trial, which unfolded this spring, turned on a starkly different account. Paltrow maintained that it was Sanderson who had skied into her, and that she was the actual victim of the crash.
During roughly two weeks of testimony, the jury heard from ski patrol members, eyewitnesses, medical experts, and both parties themselves.
One of the most memorable moments came when Sanderson, under cross-examination, admitted he had once referred to Paltrow as a "brat" in an email about the incident, a remark that appeared to undercut his credibility.
In contrast, Paltrow delivered steady, composed testimony — at one point telling the court that she had feared for her life in the immediate aftermath of the collision, describing how she had been knocked to the snow and lay there briefly, stunned.
She also pushed back on Sanderson's claim that she had fled the scene, noting she had waited for ski patrol to arrive and had checked on him before leaving.
After roughly three days of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict on Wednesday, siding with Paltrow on all counts.
Because the jury found Sanderson was 100% at fault, Paltrow was awarded $1 in damages — a symbolic amount that underscored her central claim: that the lawsuit was a baseless attempt at a payday.
In a statement released after the verdict, Paltrow said she felt vindicated and expressed sympathy for Sanderson, while making clear she believed the case should never have gone to trial.
Sanderson's attorneys, meanwhile, said they were disappointed with the outcome and hinted at a possible appeal.
Legal experts following the case said the verdict sends a clear signal about how Utah juries view fault in ski collisions, where the state's strict liability statute usually shields skiers from lawsuits unless there is evidence of "willful or wanton" misconduct.
For Paltrow, the win closes a chapter that has dominated headlines for months and continues a streak of personal and professional successes, following her recent wellness brand's continued expansion.
For now, the case is closed — unless Sanderson follows through on his promise to appeal. The question of whether this legal battle has one final chapter remains open.