united-states damages
What is the point of filing a case with an absurd damage/loss amount?
<p>In light of recent college admissions scandal, a woman has sued <a href="https://people.com/crime/lori-loughlin-felicity-huffman-sued-500-billion-dollars/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Loughlin and Huffman for $500 <strong>billion</strong></a>. </p>

<p><a href="http://time.com/103826/anton-purisima-lawsuit-nyc/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Here is a man who filed for $2 <em>undecillion dollars</em></a>, in case you need to look it up, it is more money than exists in the entire world.<br/>
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/25/man-sues-bank-of-america_n_299999.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dalton Chiscolm v BoA for $1,784 Billion Trillion</a><br/></p>

<p>What is the point of suing for such an absurd amount? For any of these cases it is obviously not recoverable from the defendants in this lifetime or the next 100. Why would a judge entertain such lawsuits with those damage amounts, and why would a lawyer even attach their name to that kind of case?</p>

<p>The amount requested has little or nothing to do with the amount, if any, eventually awarded. Once can sue "for 100 million dollars" and be awarded 100 dollars, and although it is rarer, one can be awarded more than the amount asked for when suit is field. That initial amount now serves as a peg to hang sensational news stores on, and nothing more. The plaintiff, and the plaintiff's lawyer, may consider that such publicity serves them well. Such inflated amounts are not grounds to dismiss the suit, so there is no downside to including them, except possibly negative publicity if people mock the demand.</p>

<p>The point of the plaintiff could be:</p>

<ul>
<li>have fun</li>
<li>create publicity</li>
</ul>

<p>The point of the lawyer:</p>

<ul>
<li>bill the plaintiff</li>
<li>attract more clients</li>
</ul>

<p>The judges would have to remain composed looking at the case and provide some well-reasoned justification before throwing it out.</p>
