Accidents & Injuries in Connecticut

Connecticut General Statutes Section 52-584 provides a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims from the date of injury or discovery. For government entity claims, different procedural requirements apply before suit can be filed, and these may have shorter effective timelines.

Under CGS 52-572h, Connecticut uses modified comparative fault. If you are found 50% or less at fault, you may recover damages reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you are completely barred from recovery. This is a critical distinction from pure comparative fault states where even highly at-fault plaintiffs can recover.

Connecticut requires a minimum of $5,000 in mandatory PIP (personal injury protection) coverage under CGS 38a-370, sometimes called "first-party" medical payments. This pays for your medical expenses after an accident regardless of who was at fault. For damages exceeding PIP limits, you may pursue the at-fault driver's liability insurance.

Connecticut does not impose a general statutory cap on compensatory damages in most personal injury cases. However, punitive damages in some contexts are limited under state law. If your claim is against a government entity, there may be limits under the State Claims Commissioner process.