[dccoolgai]

The payout is because _without it_ companies wouldn't change what they do. The punitive damages serve as an "example" for other corps to not do the same thing or risk losing that much money, too. If anything, I think punitive damages for corporate negligence would be _higher_. Maybe some of the payment could be directed to funds for victims instead of all going to one person, but that person (and their lawyers) also had to combat a multi-million dollar defense team.