Well, Apple can definitely fix it. The chances of them doing it for free depend, it appears, on the cause of the crack (defective plastics, as you mentioned). Just take it in and have them look at it. At the very least, you may just want to glue it. I'm not actually recommending this, however, because a proper repair is the best option.
As for preventing it from getting worse, just take it easy on the screen. When you raise and lower the screen, be gentle and avoid putting any pressure on that spot.