[microbet]

Why?

If you do something that costs me a bunch of money, am I not motivated to sue to get that money? If pain, to be compensated for the pain? If opportunity cost, to be compensated for that? That doesn't mean awards can't be big. If you get your legs broken off or something, that is a lot of pain, suffering, loss of future income, etc.. Lawyers fees should still come off the defendent if they lose. The punitive damages themselves, though, should go somewhere else.

Maybe there really shouldn't be punitive damages in civil court.