She smiled at the verdict announced. Prosecuted for her involvement in a skiing accident in a Utah resort in 2016, American actress Gwyneth Paltrow won her case Thursday, avoiding paying the $ 3.3 million in damages sought by the prosecution.

The jury of a court in this western state of the United States found, unanimously, that Gwyneth Paltrow, famous for her role as Pepper Potts in the films Iron Man, was not responsible for the accident with a retired health professional, Terry Sanderson. The actress obtained the symbolic dollar she demanded, the jury judging, after three hours of deliberation, that it was instead Terry Sanderson who had caused the accident.

Four broken ribs

Sanderson, 76, an optometrist, said the collision at a posh resort in the Rockies broke four ribs and caused lasting psychological damage, launching a lawsuit against the actress in 2019.

In their closing arguments in a court in Utah, Mr. Sanderson's lawyers argued that their client should be compensated for the irreversible brain damage he suffered that is affecting his quality of life.

They were asking the court to award his client $33 for every hour of the day from the accident until Terry Sanderson's death, which they estimated could take place in 10 years. The calculation amounts to a sum of "$3,276,000 for the 17 years Terry has to deal with this irreversible brain damage". Without success.

'False allegations'

At the heart of the case, the question was which skier hit the other. According to the complainant, Gwyneth Paltrow ran into him while skiing in a "dangerous" manner, before fleeing, leaving him unconscious.

On the contrary, the actress claims that it was Terry Sanderson who hit her in the back. Her lawyer says she "wasn't going fast" and that she became frightened when Mr. Sanderson appeared behind her. "He hit her. He hurt her," the actress' lawyer, Stephen Owens, said Thursday, "and he asked her for $3 million afterwards, for fun. It's not fair."

The trial, which lasted more than a week, saw the presentation of specific details about Sanderson's health, including pre-existing conditions. Some members of his family also testified to describe a man with a difficult character, even before the accident. At the beginning of the case, Stephen Owens had claimed that the optometrist was "obsessed" with the complaint and that the file was based on "false allegations".

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