In the famous ski accident trial involving actress Gwyneth Paltrow, one of the jurors explained her decision. She stated that she struggled to decide whether to believe the plaintiff or the defendant, but that the jury reached a quick decision in the end.
Samantha Imrie, juror number 11, insisted that Gwyneth Paltrow’s victory was based on the evidence presented in court, not her celebrity status. In an interview on Good Morning America, she claimed that the cross-examination of the plaintiff and the defendant’s ski expert ultimately swayed her opinion in favor of the actress.
Numerous witnesses from both sides testified in front of the jury, but according to Imrie, it was the biomechanical engineering expert Dr. Irving Scher’s testimony regarding the scientific facts of the crash that persuaded them.
Images of retired optometrist Terry Sanderson traveling abroad after the accident, which he claimed left him with severe, permanent injuries, persuaded the jury to rule in Paltrow’s favor.
Given the description Sanderson and his attorneys provided of his alleged injuries, Imrie stated that it was nearly impossible for her to believe that Sanderson could travel the world.
Although both Paltrow and Sanderson testified, it was Paltrow’s testimony that persuaded the jury. Imrie was aware of Paltrow’s acting skills, but she did not believe that she would lie under oath.
Sanderson filed a lawsuit against Paltrow in 2016, alleging she was responsible for their collision on a Utah ski slope that he said left him with permanent brain damage and other injuries.
Paltrow’s law team disputed who was to blame for the accident. The actor claimed that Sanderson skied into her because she was skiing downhill from where he was, whereas the doctor reiterated his claim that Paltrow skied into him and all he saw as a result was a lot of snow.
Sanderson asked the court to award him $3.2 million, while Paltrow’s attorney requested only symbolic damages of one dollar plus legal fees.
After deliberating for two hours, the jury declared the actress the winner of the court case and she was awarded unspecified attorney’s fees and one dollar in damages.
The trial in Utah lasted from March 21 to March 30.