Army Corps of Engineers Sued for $3,014,170,389,176,410 for Katrina Flood Damages

There are times where governmental immunity from lawsuits seems like a good thing.  One of those times is when you’re looking at demands for ridiculously large awards.   Seen at MSNBC:

Hurricane Katrina’s victims have put a price tag on their suffering and it is staggering — including one plaintiff seeking the unlikely sum of $3 quadrillion.

The total number — $3,014,170,389,176,410 — is the dollar figure so far sought from some 489,000 claims filed against the federal government over damage from the failure of levees and flood walls following the Aug. 29, 2005, hurricane.

Of the total number of claims, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it has received 247 for at least $1 billion apiece, including the one for $3 quadrillion.[...]

For the sake of perspective: A mere $1 quadrillion would dwarf the U.S. gross domestic product, which Scott said was $13.2 trillion in 2007. A stack of one quadrillion pennies would reach Saturn.

Under the circumstances, I think it’s entirely appropriate for the Army Corps of Engineers to provide indemnification for losses arising from the subpar levees they had responsibility over.   However, a $3,000,000,000,000,000 claim seems just a tad excessive.