9 celebrities who have been sued for personal injury

Rick Bowmer-Pool // Getty Images When a celebrity has a run-in with the law, it rarely goes unnoticed. The spotlight comes with a whole host of upsides. Still, some drawbacks can have serious consequences–like encounters with the insatiable hoards of paparazzi, under the microscope of social media gossip sleuths, public details of their worst moments plastered across national papers, and opportunistic folks looking to cash in on their wealth. Sometimes, lawsuits against celebrities can seem fully warranted; other times, they come from someone who knows the rich and famous. For these reasons, A-listers tend to find themselves on the receiving end of personal injury legal battles. A personal injury lawsuit involves one party claiming that negligent or reckless behavior led to physical injury by another party. To look into some of the most notorious disputes of this kind, Recovery Law Center compiled a list of nine celebrities who have been sued over personal injury claims, sourcing from various news articles and court documents on the cases. From a dog bite to a dance battle, check out these famous personal injury lawsuits–and find out whether their names were cleared or if they had to fork over millions. Gwyneth Paltrow Rick Bowmer-Pool // Getty Images In 2016, actor Gwyneth Paltrow was involved in a “hit-and-run” ski crash at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson. Sanderson was on a beginner run when Paltrow allegedly collided with him, causing him to sustain four broken ribs and a concussion. While Paltrow’s defense claimed Sanderson was exaggerating his injuries, his attorney claimed Paltrow had violated a local ordinance requiring skiers to stop and help injured parties in a collision. Three years later, Sanderson sued Paltrow for $300,000, though he initially attempted to seek an excess of $3.1 million. Paltrow countersued for a symbolic $1 in addition to repayment of legal fees, claiming it was Sanderson who had actually rammed into her. After a widely memed, two-week televised trial, the jury ultimately swung in Paltrow’s favor. “I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” the actor and Goop founder said in an Instagram Story after the verdict came down in March 2023. Britney Spears Tim Mosenfelder // Getty Images Britney Spears has been embroiled in numerous court cases over the years–most infamously, those involving her conservatorship and legal dispute with her father, Jamie Spears, that reached a settlement in 2024. But the “…Baby One More Time” singer was sued for personal injury in 2013 when a backup dancer alleged she accidentally hit her during a rehearsal and never paid her medical bills. After reportedly practicing for 30 minutes for her “Work B—-” music video, dancer Dawn Noel Pignuola received an accidental blow to her face from Spears, reportedly breaking her nose. Spears’ team allegedly agreed to pay Pignuola’s medical bills but never did. All told, Pignuola sued for “serious physical and emotional damages including disfigurement to her nose as well as severe emotional distress and anxiety,” per E! News. In September 2014, the case was dismissed. Lindsay Lohan David McNew // Getty Images Lindsay Lohan had her share of bad publicity throughout the height of her fame in the 2000s, but a car crash in 2012 landed the “Mean Girls” star in court for a personal injury lawsuit. In 2013, a truck driver named James Johnson sued the actor for the physical and mental injuries he suffered after she allegedly slammed her Porsche 911S into the back of his 18-wheeler on California’s famed Pacific Coast Highway. Lohan reportedly told officers she wasn’t behind the wheel at the time of the crash, but officers found during an investigation that she, in fact, was. Then-Lt. Mitch McCann, media relations officer for Beverly Hills police department, said during a press conference that authorities found narcotics at the scene. Additionally, Johnson named Lohan’s production company, Crossheart Productions, in the lawsuit for providing her with the vehicle, alleging they knew she was unfit to drive. Johnson and Lohan settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in 2014. Dr. Phil