Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial Defense Relied On Experts To Build Defense
Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial defense lawyers were almost done with their case on Wednesday, the seventh day of the trial over her 2016 ski accident with a 76-year-old retired optometrist. They did this by using more experts to build their defense.
James K.Mar 31, 202328 Shares889 Views
Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial defenselawyers were almost done with their case on Wednesday, the seventh day of the trial over her 2016 ski accident with a 76-year-old retired optometrist. They did this by using more experts to build their defense.
Paltrow's defense team called a radiologist, a neurologist, a neuropsychologist, and a forensic psychologist to the stand. They relied on medical analysis more than the testimony of Paltrow's friends or husband to make their case.
But in the last hour of their last full day to call witnesses, they brought back the man who was suing Paltrow, Terry Sanderson. After closing arguments on Thursday, the case will be given to the eight-person jury so they can decide how to rule.
Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial continues with defense
The retired optometrist who is suing Gwyneth Paltrow was questioned by her lawyers on Wednesday about all the physical things he did while traveling the world after their ski accident in 2016. Paltrow's lawyers asked Terry Sanderson, who is 76 years old, to come back to the witness stand in the last hour of their last full day.
When they questioned the plaintiff, who said he got traumatic brain injuries from the crash at Utah's Deer Valley Resort and couldn't do the things he liked to do, they showed him pictures of Sanderson on trips around the world.
After the ski accident with Paltrow, Sanderson rode a camel in Morocco, hiked up to Machu Picchu in Peru, went ziplining and biking, went hiking with his girlfriend, did Zumba, played mini-golf, explored an escape room, and more, as shown in Facebook photos and posts that were shown in court.
Paltrow's defense team called a radiologist, a neurologist, a neuropsychologist, and a forensic psychologist to the stand. They relied on medical analysis more than the testimony of Paltrow's friends or husband to make their case. But in the last hour of their last full day to call witnesses, they brought back the man who was suing Paltrow, Terry Sanderson.
Paltrow's team is taking a risk by spending most of their time on expert testimony. This is more than just a way to show how much money they have invested in the case. During the trial, Paltrow and Sanderson's testimony kept the jury's attention, and the hours of medical testimony tested their patience.
Experts brought in by Paltrow's side said that scans of Sanderson's brain show that his mental abilities started to get worse years before the crash with Paltrow. They didn't believe what his doctors said last week, who said that his disorientation and memory loss were caused by post-concussion syndrome.
On Friday, when Paltrow said on the stand that she first thought she was being "violated" when the accident happened, the eight-person jury was stunned and some of them were on the edge of their seats. Three days later, Sanderson told a completely different story. He said that she had run into him and sent him "absolutely flying."
The trial is happening in the same city that hosts the Sundance Film Festival every year. Early in her career, Paltrow would go there for the premieres of her movies, like 1998's "Sliding Doors," when she was mostly known as an actor and not a celebrity wellness entrepreneur.
Sanderson wants more than $300,000 because he says Paltrow's carelessness on the slope caused the crash, which left him with four broken ribs and years of post-concussion symptoms like confusion, memory loss, and irritability. Paltrow has sued Sanderson back for $1 and her lawyer's fees, saying that Sanderson hit her from behind.
The amount of money at stake for both sides is small compared to the costs of a typical lawsuit that lasts for years, has a private security detail, and has a lot of expert witnesses.
On Wednesday, the seventh day of the trial over Gwyneth Paltrow's 2016 ski accident with a 76-year-old retired optometrist, her lawyers continued to rely mostly on experts to make their case.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial defense lawyers called Sanderson back to the stand to question his claims that he had been hurt so badly that it would change the rest of his life. Instead of going over Sanderson's medical history or hearing from experts again, they asked him about his travels after the crash and how he spent his money.