Gwyneth Paltrow and her lawyer Steve Owens smile after the studying of the decision in her lawsuit trial on Thursday in Park City, Utah.

Rick Bowmer/AP

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Rick Bowmer/AP

Gwyneth Paltrow and her lawyer Steve Owens smile after the studying of the decision in her lawsuit trial on Thursday in Park City, Utah.

Rick Bowmer/AP

Who skied into whom?

After solely a bit greater than two hours of deliberation, a Utah jury unanimously determined that it was Gwyneth Paltrow who obtained slammed into by retired optometrist Terry Sanderson on the slopes of the Deer Valley Resort greater than seven years in the past — and never the opposite method round.

The verdict is a blow for Sanderson, who filed the lawsuit in opposition to Paltrow looking for $300,000 in damages for the accidents he sustained after she allegedly plowed into him. It is a vindication for the Oscar-winning actress, who countersued Sanderson for $1 and authorized charges, saying he was responsible for the 2016 ski collision.

Sanderson, 76, hung his head as Judge Kent Holmberg learn the jury’s determination on Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, the 50-year-old actress remained pretty expressionless, providing solely a curt nod and a small smile to her legal professionals and the jury.

“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” Paltrow mentioned in a press release by means of her attorneys.

“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 added.

Over the course of the trial, jurors heard from science and medical specialists, eye witnesses — together with written testimony from Paltrow’s kids — and the well-known actress herself.

Each authorized workforce provided dueling variations of what occurred on the mountain that day.

Sanderson’s attorneys argued that Paltrow was snowboarding recklessly down the mountain when she careened into him with a velocity that despatched him “flying” within the air. As a end result, he mentioned, he suffered 4 damaged ribs and lifelong mind injury.

“All I saw was a whole lot of snow. And I didn’t see the sky, but I was flying,” he testified final week.

During closing arguments, his lawyer, Robert Sykes, rejected claims that Sanderson is looking for fame and a focus.

“Part of Terry will forever be on the Bandara run,” Sykes instructed the jury. “Bring Terry home.”

Lawrence Buhler, one other of his attorneys, instructed jurors to think about awarding his shopper $3.2 million {dollars} in damages.

“When people get to know him, after a while, they don’t want to deal with him anymore,” Buhler mentioned, including that he is recognized Sanderson for six years.

Buhler advised Sanderson’s character has modified dramatically throughout that interval and that it has triggered individuals to push him away. “You lose everybody — your family, they’ll put up with you, and maybe the lawyers. But, really, they’re just putting up with you,” Buhler added.

Meanwhile, Paltrow’s authorized workforce maintained that she was the sufferer each within the incident on the ski resort and within the subsequent authorized battle that has dragged on for years.

Paltrow testified that she’d been snowboarding along with her kids when Sanderson struck her from behind. In the confusion and shock of the blow, she instructed jurors, she thought somebody was making an attempt to sexually assault her.

She described his skis as coming between her personal, forcing her legs aside and that she heard a “grunting noise” earlier than they landed on the bottom collectively.

Her lawyer, Stephen Owens, additionally frolicked grilling Sanderson concerning the severity of his accidents, questioning him about varied journeys and actions the retiree posted to social media after the so-called hit and run.

During closing arguments he instructed jurors that Paltrow had determined to take a stand in preventing Sanderson’s case. Owens mentioned it will have been “easy” for Paltrow “to write a check and be done with it,” however that might have been improper.

He added: “It’s actually wrong that he hurt her, and he wants money from her.”

Now, it is clear she will not must pay it.