Well, the lawyers usually work on contingency. If they don’t win, they worked for 10 years for free. So, the percentage of victory is compensation for their ris

Well, the lawyers usually work on contingency. If they don’t win, they worked for 10 years for free. So, the percentage of victory is compensation for their risk and fronting the money to work for a decade. Further, as the parent post points out, the compensation to the individual is low. Even if the lawyers made nothing, what does the plaintiff care? $3 or $6? What does it matter? But the point isn’t compensating the plaintiff. The point is punishing the defendants and creating some kind of deterrent.