Man Who Tried Suing Actress Gwyneth Paltrow For Millions Because of Ski Accident Ordered To Pay Her Legal Fees Instead

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

1 He wanted to sue for $3.1 million

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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2 Her lawyers left no stone unturned

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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3 Who is Terry Sanderson

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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