It seems some are seeing lawsuits as an attractive alternative to lotteries as a get rich quick scheme. You have a better chance at cashing in with a lawsuit than with lotto, and you can do so with no money up front if your lawyer agrees to work on contingency. Some have come to call this Jackpot Justice.

Some areas are notorious for insane jury awards far in excess of anything rational. For example, consider the case of BMW of North America verses Ira Gore, Jr.. Gore sued BMW because the car he'd purchased had a touch-up applied to cover a minor paint flaw. Gore sued in Alabama and won $4000 in actual damages and $4 million in punitive damages. The Alabama Supreme Court reduced this to a $2 million award. This case went all the way to the Supreme Court before that absurd award was overturned. Even though BMW ultimately won the suit, who knows how much they had to pay in legal fees. In the meantime, Ira Gore, Jr. probably didn't have to pay anything out of pocket for that suit.

Here's another wonderful jury decision from Alabama, a jury awarded the plaintiff $581 million to a family who claimed they were overcharged $1200 for two satellite dishes.

Apparently, the Gore decision had ripple effects far beyond Alabama, as the linked article covers its impact on Pennsylvania law.

Here's an interesting article from an Indiana law school on the subject of punitive damages. It appears the author supports such damages, but then, she's a lawyer.