Hundreds of Sept. 11-related lawsuits have been filed against the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey since a federal judge last week ruled that the suits could remain dormant while plaintiffs decide whether to seek compensation from the federal victims fund instead. Many of the suits charge that the Port Authority, the World Trade Center’s owner, did not operate the complex in a safe and proper manner and specifically failed to provide for proper fire protection, emergency response and evacuation, according to a spokeswoman for The Nolan Group, a Chicago law firm that has filed five wrongful death suits on behalf of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.