This is plunder masquerading as justice, and it's on the rise. Dozens of suits have been filed against Microsoft, claiming huge damages. Health maintenance organizations face countless suits over their practices. And, of course, there's tobacco. Every trial lawyer now dreams of a pot of gold.
Imitation is irresistible.
The best way to stop the spread of self-enriching suits is to remove the pot of gold or, at least, reduce it to a small pile. We know there are excesses. Corporate executives, athletes and movie celebrities sometimes seem indefensibly overpaid. The answer is that they are not creatures of the market. They are not like corporate executives or athletes.