Police said Hottenstein's blood-alcohol level was higher than .08, the legal limit to drive in New Jersey. The Southern Regional Medical Examiner's Office blamed her intoxication in part for her death.

But the accident raises a question about what responsibility Hottenstein had for her own safety that night. Published accounts of the lawsuit drew a strong reaction from newspaper readers both in Philadelphia and New Jersey.

"I do expect people to say that," Wescott said. "We have no control over (the comments)."

Sea Isle City Solicitor Paul Baldini said he has not seen the lawsuit. Unlike state lawsuits, federal lawsuits do not impose the same requirement of giving a municipality notice of a claim, Baldini said.

Baldini was also named as a defendant as the former registered agent for LaCosta Lounge. But Baldini said he has not served in that capacity in many years and has no legal relationship with the business now.

Organizers of this month's Polar Bear Plunge said Hottenstein's death cast a shadow over the popular event.

"It put a black eye on a continually successful event that does a lot to help the city," said Bill McGinn, a real-estate agent with Re/Max of Sea Isle City.