Ultralights,
Under the U.S. legal system, there are 2 types of damages that can be levied on a person or company. Compensation and Punitive.
The compensation part is obvious as to its reason.
Punitive damages are not given as compensation, but are designed to punish the guilty party, and to deter them from following the same course of action that caused the problem in the first place.
I can see the logic of punitive damages, but I can't see why it's paid to the person who won the case, as they've already had their compensation.