Gwyneth Paltrow; Terry Sanderson.Photo: shutterstock (2)
Gwyneth Paltrowwas more believable than Terry Sanderson in the trial for his civil suit against her over a 2016 ski collision, a legal expert tells PEOPLE.
The 50-year-old actress wasfound not liablein the lawsuit on Thursday.
A jury found that Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist, was “100 percent” at fault in the collision that happened Feb. 26, 2016, at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. The two-week trial ended with less than three hours of deliberations, and Paltrow was awarded $1 in damages plus legal fees.
John J. Perlstein, a personal injury and wrongful death lawyer who was not involved in the trial, tells PEOPLE that the Oscar-winning actress appeared to be “very, very believable” during court proceedings.
Asked if the verdict surprised him, Perlstein says, “No. I try a lot of cases and … it just never looked like it was a case. And she came across very, very believable.”
He adds that, ultimately, “Her story appeared truthful, and his did not.”
“Jurors don’t like it when they don’t believe you, you’re never going to succeed,” says the lawyer. “And she seemed very believable.”
Getty
Perlstein explains why he doesn’t believe Sanderson had a strong case.
“Even if it was a coin toss as to what happened, you’re on a ski slope, things happen. I don’t know why he would bring the case. It never appeared to me, even giving him every benefit, that it appeared to be a case that one should bring. You’re out doing something athletic, and you run into somebody or something, and that seems to be expected consequence of your actions. I don’t recall reading about anything like this before.”
He also doesn’t think Sanderson should try to challenge the verdict with an appeal.
“I don’t know the intricacies of what the appealable issues might be, but from what I saw, he just never had a case. And so pay the consequences. Sometimes you lose,” he says. “Figure out how to get out from under those attorneys fees that are going to come your way.”
Perlstein also praises Paltrow for being present in court every day instead of agreeing to a settlement.
“I just think it bodes well for her character and her story that this didn’t happen, and it just never seemed to have happened the way this guy portrayed it,” he says. “She has the ability to be able to do that and stand up for yourself. Good for her.”
Shortly after the verdict,Paltrow spoke outin a statement shared via her Instagram Story.
“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” she began.
RELATED VIDEO: Gwyneth Paltrow Trial Round Up
“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,” said Paltrow.
Sanderson’s attorney C. Peter Sorensen said in a statement, “We are disappointed in the outcome, but we love and support the legal process. We thank Judge Holmberg, the jury and staff for all their efforts. We will spend the next while evaluating and discussing where we go from here.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I think you have to keep in mind when you’re the victim of a crash your psychology is not necessarily thinking about the person who perpetrated it … I thought it was very minor on the day,” she said, noting she “stuck around long enough for [Sanderson] to say he was okay.”
source: people.com
