"This defies belief!
If you crashed your 20 year old Escort into a lamp post,it's Ford's fault,right? crazy!"
No, but if you were a fare paying passenger in such a vehicle that was marketed as fit for the purpose, you might have a different opinion.
"Does anyone have any doubt that "deep pockets" Boeing will pay a pretty ransom to the lawyers? (Oh, and there may be a few pence left for the victims...)"
I doubt it. The manufacturer will pass the matter to its insurers, and it is they who might do as you suggest, unless they see reason or the courts compel them otherwise.
"If the lawyers are just "acting honestly" why do they need to do huge worldwide press releases about the law suits they are filing. These things don't get into the newspapers by accident."
Why do you suppose it is the plaintiffs lawyers who seek publicity ? Very often it is the corporate defendents who seek to solicit the outrage you demonstrate. It is a strange world where ordinary people feel anger towards a damaged and injured individual seeking inadequate recompense. Yet they feel sympathy and compassion to a rich, well insured, manufacturer who may have a history of allowing corporate negligence to supercede their moral responsibility on the basis of perceived cost.
At the end of the day the matter will be dropped, settled, or decided by the relevant courts. However one thing is certain and that is nobody will be satisfied. Remember these "victims" didn't board that aircraft with the purpose of "getting rich" if it crashed. Responsibility for their injuries will be decided in due course and in the proper forums for such decisions.