The retired optometrist who unsuccessfully sued Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 ski accident said he is already mulling an appeal – hours after telling reporters his yearlong legal was not worth it.
Culminating in a sensational seven-day trial that concluded Thursday, the civil claims case filed by Terry Sanderson was just shot down by a Utah jury.
Lawyers for the 76-year-old – who is facing financial ruin after a costly legal battle with the actress-turned-influencer – had at first demanded $3.1million, but changed his damages demand to $300,000 after his initial complaint was shot down.
The decision marked a painful loss for Sanderson, who was wished well by the A-lister as she left court Thursday. The embarrassing exchange came after the eye doctor’s high-powered attorneys argued the crash at Deer Valley ski resort left him permanently brain-impaired and altered his personality.
At that point, the senior gave a deflated statement conceding he shouldn’t have bothered pursuing legal action against the Goop founder. Now, his lawyers are saying there is still a chance that Paltrow may not come out unscathed.
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Terry Sanderson (right), the 76-year-old retired optometrist who unsuccessfully sued Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 ski accident, has announced he is already mulling an appeal – now that he is facing financial ruin after a costly legal battle with the actress-turned-influencer
The decision marked a painful loss for Sanderson, who is seen being wished well by the A-lister as she left court Thursday. His lawyer, Robert B. Sykes (seen at right), said Friday that his office is now considering an appeal
In an official statement Friday, Robert B. Sykes, Sanderson’s attorney, called last week’s trial a ‘marathon’ – but hinted that another sprint for the finish from him and his team might still be in the cards.
‘The marathon ski collision trial ended yesterday,’ wrote Sykes, roughly 24 hours after Utah jurors unanimously in favor of the Oscar winner, and deemed Sanderson ‘100 percent’ at fault for the incident.
The attorney proceeded to address the rush of comment requests he and his colleagues have seen since seeing their argument that Sanderson’s personality permanently changed after the crash shot down.
‘We are all exhausted and need a rest,’ the attorney said, providing the statement to local outlet 2News. ‘Mr. Sanderson needs to rest today. We have had numerous inquiries and requests for comments, interviews, statements, and the like. We could not possibly accommodate all these requests.
‘In future days,’ he added, ‘Mr. Sanderson may be available to talk to the press. Please respect his privacy and do not try to otherwise contact him.’
The lawyer then hinted of a prospective appeal.
‘As Mr. Sanderson’s attorneys, we are considering all options. This includes a possible Motion for a New Trial, an appeal to the Utah Supreme Court, and other legal options,’ he wrote.
‘These options will be thoroughly explored between the attorneys and Terry Sanderson at a later date. We are grateful for the hard and amazing work by Judge Holmberg, his staff and the bailiffs. We also thank the jury for its service.’
The exchange came after high-powered attorneys hired by the eye doctor argued the crash into a then 43-year-old Paltrow – seen here smiling at reporters after being awarded a symbolic $1 in damages – left him permanently brain-impaired
The actress left court in Park City having told her opponent Sanderson: ‘I wish you the best’
The singular statement came less than a day after Sanderson told reporters on the Park City courthouse steps that he was ‘very disappointed’ by the jurors’ verdict – but that he should not have bothered pursuing legal action against the fashion influencer
Gwyneth Paltrow has won her case against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson who claimed she caused a 2016 ski collision that left him with him lasting brain damage
Jurors found that Sanderson, 76, was the one to blame for the crash at the posh Utah ski resort. It took just two hours and 20 minutes for the jury to reach their verdict on Thursday
Paltrow’s legal team, led by Stephen Owens, thanked the jury for their service
The singular statement came less than a day after Sanderson told reporters flocked on Park City courthouse steps following Thursday’s bombshell ruling he was ‘very disappointed’ by the jurors’ verdict – which was reportedly arrived at in only a couple of hours.
Appearing exceedingly despondent and somewhat defeated, Sanderson said that he should not have bothered pursuing legal action against the fashion influencer, when asked if the lawsuit was worth it.
‘Absolutely not,’ Sanderson responded curly, speaking to entertainment news outlet Extra of the case, and how his medical history was laid bare to jurors and much of the world during the televised proceedings.
‘Knowing that now, no.’ He joked: ‘It’s like, I’m gonna be on the internet forever.’
In a statement given to reporters days earlier, the optometrist joked about the publicity the lawsuit had gotten, and how he can now ‘never go on another dating site again.’
He said Wednesday, a day before the jury delivered their ruling: ‘It’s the pain of trying to sue a celebrity.’
