If sleazebag lawyers are able to start convincing a bunch of idiots in the jury pool that this is legitimate... it will mean big problems. We are aviation enthusiasts; the lawyers killed off the small airplane industry in the 1980s. They would manage to convince juries that accidents caused 100% by pilot error were related to manufacturing and design defects.
I remember a case where a man got drunk, and then climbed into a Cessna at a local airport and took off.
Of course, the plane crashed and the “pilot” died. His widow sued Cessna Aircraft.
If I were the judge, I would have dismissed the lawsuit and told the woman, “Madam, I’m sorry you’re a widow, but your fool of a husband was killed because he did something incredibly stupid. This case is dismissed, and you have to pay Cessna’s legal fees out of your husband’s estate.”
Funny you should mention that. I was talking to an Air Force guy 2 weeks ago and he said the same thing. That’s why 40 year old single engine planes have a 6 figure price tag.