Would we be discussing it here on HN if Google were not named in the suit? Would anyone other than the local newspaper have written about it? Probably not.
But there are currently over 1200 articles on this, including national and international coverage, and that publicity is probably very helpful for the lawsuit.
People who don't have/use Google Maps may die in a similar way, given the lack of physical infrastructure to block the route. What does increased notoriety about a mistargeted lawsuit against Google do to assist?
To be clear, I think Google is not without blame, but the primary apportionment belongs to local road/bridge management, because fixing Google Maps alone would in no way be sufficiently safe, but fixing the physical infrastructure of the route would.
But there are currently over 1200 articles on this, including national and international coverage, and that publicity is probably very helpful for the lawsuit.