Norma Michaels: Family Photo

Norma's Family: Michaels Family Photo

Boating under the influence (BUI); defendant killed his townhouse neighbor as she was swimming within yards of her home

ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, USA , May 13, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, the Philadelphia-based law firm with a nationally recognized catastrophic maritime-negligence practice, today filed a wrongful death complaint (Estate of Norma Michaels v. J. Jastrzembski et al., Superior Court of NJ) against an intoxicated, now indicted South Jersey power-boater who last summer fatally struck and killed his neighbor, Norma Michaels, the renowned Philadelphia area marketing executive, while she was swimming just off the dock of her South Boulevard Ave, Atlantic City, townhouse near the Albany Avenue Bridge, the Firm disclosed at a press conference at the scene of the tragedy. Several members of the Michaels family – including her three daughters – eulogized their remarkable mother, and with the Memorial Day holiday weekend approaching, urged officials throughout New Jersey to crack down on flagrant “BUI” (Boating Under the Influence) that has been linked to the preventable death.

Robert J. Mongeluzzi, who has represented numerous victims nationwide of maritime negligence, including disasters involving those injured or killed by pleasure boats, dive boats, tourist “duck boats”, and wave runners, said of the multi-count filing in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic County Division: “The grieving daughters of Norma Michaels have brought this lawsuit to obtain justice for Norma, to hold accountable the defendant, Jeffrey Jastrzembski, who has been indicted for his reckless operation of a boat while intoxicated and to promote public awareness of the lethal danger of drinking and boating.”

Mr. Mongeluzzi, and his team of lawyers and forensic investigators, that includes firm trial attorneys Andrew R. Duffy and Douglas DiSandro, Jr., said its extensive pre-suit investigation resulted in the filing that seeks a jury trial along with unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from the Defendants.

“Norma’s family, including her daughters (Hope Cohen, Lori Kushner, Cristy Michaels) who continue her legacy of passionate devotion to truth and justice, asked us to make sure all the facts leading up to their mother’s death are publicly aired at trial and that all those responsible are held accountable. That process is now formally underway,” stated Mr. Duffy. He added, “Family and friends of Norma are also adamant that more can and must be done to prevent other senseless injuries and deaths on New Jersey’s waterways resulting from the outlandish and illegal conduct of impaired boat operators like the Defendant who flaunt and break safe-boating laws. An experienced boat operator, a neighbor of Ms. Michaels, the defendant knew the consequences of boating while intoxicated – his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when arrested - and still, for reasons to be determined, took to the controls of a powerful outboard craft and in so doing, violently took a precious life.”

In a statement read by family members after the filing, the daughters said, “Our mother, 79 years young, was energetic beyond belief, and she was passionate about so many things in life. To her, family was first, followed closely by core beliefs in the importance of community service to the underserved. She lived and led by example. We cannot and will not allow her untimely, entirely preventable death to just fade into the background. Justice to us means holding the defendant to account for his repulsive actions and, being proactive – in our mother’s name – doing whatever we can to support agencies that license and supervise boaters. We support re-doubling enforcement and public information efforts to prevent intoxicated boaters from injuring, even killing, innocent swimmers like our precious mother.”

The family and legal team expressed support for the investigations to date by several of those agencies including the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Jastrzembski, 54, reportedly ignored pleas from spectators on shore to reduce his speed as he wildly careened the boat in a “no-wake” zone directly towards Ms. Michaels and her swimming companion-neighbor, who remains traumatized by the tragedy. An eyewitness stated that he saw the drunken boater, after he struck Ms. Michaels, throw cans or bottles overboard.

Ms. Michaels, a pioneer among independent business women in the tri-state area, has often been characterized as a “fierce matriarch, self-made businesswoman, and beloved member of her community."

Contacts:
Robert J. Mongeluzzi / rmongeluzzi@smbb.com / 215-850-6571
Andrew R. Duffy / aduffy@smbb.com/ 609-320-4919
Steph Rosenfeld / steph@idadvisors.com / 215-514-4101

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