When a 5-foot surge from superstorm Sandy washed over 200 acres of low-lying parking lots at New Jersey's Port Newark, a fleet of vehicles belonging to International Motor Freight Inc. was damaged.

Cardolite's attorney, Robert Chesler of Anderson Kill & Olick, said he expected many more lawsuits against brokers in the months ahead. But suits in New Jersey are more likely to be successful than ones in New York, where "the law is much more restrictive" about a broker's obligations, he said.

Still, some attorneys say the Northeast presents an unusual dynamic, where aggressive regulators, eager politicians and concentrated media could place unwanted scrutiny on insurers that deny claims.

Read the full story: After the Storm, Suits Roll In