Air-crews are almost universally indemnified by the company for which they are operating, so it is not THEM that will be sued.
BUT, why would you pound along through turbulence making your passengers uncomfortable/sick when simply going up or down a few 1000 feet would put you in smooth air? Its easier on the people, easier on the equipment, easier on the hostitutes (flight attendants
), safer, and easier on the cleaners (less puke to clean up)
Different mentality, when I flew in England I got the feeling that my copilots were sometimes quite embarrassed about my having them request ride reports and then changing altitude (or asking for the World cup scores). But remember ATC works for us! Without airplanes there is not ATC... Help them out where you can, they have a difficult job, but their mission is OUR safety and convenience. A smoother ride is part of that safety. Don't ask the guy that is swamped about it of course, but if the frequency is reasonably available, its another tool at your disposal.
Cheers
Wino