Norfolk, Va.-based attorney Jeffrey Breit discusses monthly claims checks from BP with fishermen during a town hall meeting in Jennings. (Photo by Ben Meyers)

On July 10, more than 400 fishermen overwhelmed the Grand Marais, a 1,400-square-foot banquet hall in Jennings designed to accommodate 100 people. Many in the crowd, which spilled onto the sidewalks, had come to retrieve monthly claims checks from BP to cover losses caused by the Gulf oil disaster.