For those of you wondering about American lawsuits there are a few things you need to understand.
1. America has no social safety nets worth a damn.
2. If a family's sole breadwinner dies, then the kids won't be going to university, they won't have much in the way of healthcare, they will probably have to downsize their house (due to American tax treatment of mortgage interest). Basically, their entire life collapses because in America, you are what you earn.
3. The family may also be destitute or bankrupt if the breadwinner incurred medical bills before dying.
The legal strategy pursued in these aircraft lawsuits is predicated on the fact that the jury makes the award:
(a) Make everyone on the jury totally miserable about the fate of the victims family (see 2).
(b) determine exactly which party to the lawsuit has the deepest pockets.
(c) blame everything on them.
Then add exemplary and punitive damages and "voila!"... $480 million!
The problem is of course exacerbated by lawyers agreements to take their costs plus a share of the damages.
But wait, there is more... we now have "litigation finance companies" who will fund potentially lucrative cases in return for a share of the award.
And since 90% of politicians started life as greasy, scum sucking lawyers, don't expect tort law reform any time soon.