Terry Sanderson thought he was going to be famous, that’s what he penned off in an email to his three daughters on February 29th 2016. Three days earlier he had collided with Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow on the ski slopes leaving them both bruised shaken and sore. Sanderson then took the opportunity to sue Paltrow for millions claiming the accident left him in a wreck, his life now in shambles with even his fiancée leaving him due to the accident. Now according to several media reports, the 76-year-old Optometrist faces infamy and financial ruin. On the 30th March 2013, a jury in the upmarket Utah ski town of Park City found that Paltrow was not guilty of causing the crash. While Paltrow has won a counterclaim of $1, Sanderson will have to foot her legal expenses which could run into thousands of dollars
Sanderson had intended to secure a $3.1 million settlement when he filed the lawsuit in 2019, but the figure was lowered to $300,000 at trial. Paltrow requested a symbolic one, but she also demanded payment of her legal bills, which may reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. Paltrow's legal team was led by former president of the Utah State Bar and clerk for Utah Supreme Court Judge Richard Howe, Stephen Owens.
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Owens, who specializes in medical malpractice cases, left no stone abandoned in his attempt to clear Paltrow's name, including the creation of a sleek film demonstrating that the actress could not have physically caused Sanderson's injuries. Sanderson must also compensate Sanderson's attorney Lawrence Buhler, who constantly described to himself as a "basic country lawyer," for his efforts. The expenses are unknown; they will depend on the hourly rate of each solicitor, the size of their team, the number of hours they worked on the case, and the amount paid to the experts who testified. And whereas Paltrow is thought to be worth $200 million, Sanderson's financial situation is considerably more modest.
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Born in Montana, he studied zoology in his home state before attending Pacific University in Oregon to study optometry. He worked for 40 years in the rural hamlet of Soda Springs, Idaho, a community of 3,000 people located 160 miles north of Salt Lake City. His daughters were Jenny, Polly, and Shea. Now that he is retired, he resides in a $700,000 bungalow in Salt Lake City. Perhaps even more damaging than the monetary loss is the reputational impact. During the seven-day trial, Sanderson's mental stability was questioned and his family was placed under an unpleasant spotlight. His daughter Jenny testified in writing that her father was "dominant" and "often frustrated." She stated that she did not feel 'loved' or 'nurtured' by her father, and that he was ‘verbally abusive' towards her and her mother, who the court learned was having an affair.
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Jenny stated that she had not had contact with her father for thirteen years. Next, Polly and Shea testified in court and characterised Jenny as troubled. After the collision, 'he couldn't identify the forest from the trees.' Sanderson himself testified that the catastrophe had a tremendous effect on him. He claimed he was physically and mentally affected by the crash and couldn’t ski anymore. He said if he did, he would wind up in hospital He became emotional as he described the end of his relationship with former partner Karlene Davidson in the aftermath of the crash.
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Paltrow, on the stand, said she felt 'very sorry' for Sanderson's declining health following the incident but said she was not 'at fault'. And the retiree exposed himself to further humiliation when Paltrow's lawyers found photos of him traveling happily around the world. They used Facebook photos and posts to show the court images of Sanderson riding a camel in Morocco, trudging up to Machu Picchu in Peru, ziplining and bike riding, hiking with his girlfriend, doing Zumba, playing mini-golf, exploring an escape room and more — all after the ski crash with Paltrow.
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Paltrow’s lawyers Owen asked Sanderson on the stand 'Did you go to Peru?' 'Walk the Golden trail? Did you do a zipline? Did you go to Europe? Did you go to the Netherlands three times? Rode bikes? Did bus tours?' Sanderson replied yes to each question.
Since 2016, according to Paltrow's attorneys, Sanderson has visited the Netherlands three times, Morocco twice, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Thailand, Peru, and Costa Rica at least once each. Thursday evening, Sanderson's reputation was in tatters. If Paltrow gets the legal fees to which she is entitled, his finances may suffer. s she left the courtroom on Thursday, she told him quietly: 'I wish you well,' he revealed. He replied: 'Thank you, dear.'
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