Hurt, wronged, or owed money
THINKING ABOUT SUING
What Connecticut law says about the time to bring a claim, by the kind of claim, and about the court that hears small ones. Every period here is one the guide already states, with the section it comes from and the law that section cites.
A period runs from the event its statute names. When that event happened, and whether anything paused the count, are facts a lawyer applies; whether a claim is worth bringing is a question for one too. Nothing here answers either.
THE TIME TO SUE
An injury to a person
Hurt in a fall, a crash, a dog bite, or by somebody's carelessness.
2 years
Suing for injury or property damage caused by negligence
- From
- When the injury is sustained or discovered
An action for injury to a person or property caused by negligence or malpractice is brought within two years of the injury or its discovery, and never more than three years from the act.
3 years
Suing on a tort
- From
- The act or omission complained of
An action founded on a tort is brought within three years from the date of the act or omission complained of.
Damage to property
A car, a phone, a fence, or anything else damaged or taken.
2 years
Suing for injury or property damage caused by negligence
- From
- When the injury is sustained or discovered
An action for injury to a person or property caused by negligence or malpractice is brought within two years of the injury or its discovery, and never more than three years from the act.
A written contract
A signed agreement, a lease, a written estimate or invoice.
6 years
Suing on a written contract or an account
- From
- The day the right of action accrues
An action on an account or on a written, simple or implied contract is brought within six years after the right of action accrues.
A contract not in writing
A deal made in words or a handshake, or an account with no signed paper.
3 years
Suing on a contract not in writing
- From
- The day the right of action accrues
An action on an express contract not reduced to writing is brought within three years after the right of action accrues.
A CLAIM AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT
A claim against a public body often has a step of its own before a lawsuit, and a shorter period for it. These are the ones the Connecticut guide carries, in the order they come. A body none of them names is not covered here yet.
Step 1
1 year
A claim against the state
- From
- The day the claim accrues
A claim is presented to the Claims Commissioner within one year after it accrues, and never more than three years from the act complained of.
Step 2
90 days
Notice of an injury on a state highway
- From
- The injury
Written notice of the injury, its cause, and the time and place is given to the Commissioner of Transportation within ninety days, or the action cannot be brought.
Step 3
2 years
Suing over a defective state highway
- From
- The injury
The action against the Commissioner of Transportation for a defective highway, bridge or sidewalk is brought within two years from the date of the injury.
SMALL CLAIMS COURT
The limit in Connecticut
Up to $5,000, or $15,000 over home improvement work by a registered contractor or a contract with a registered new home contractor
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-15 — claims up to $5,000, and up to $15,000 against a licensed home improvement or new home contractor
WHAT TO HAVE TOGETHER
Whoever looks at a claim, a lawyer, a legal aid office or a small claims clerk, works from the same handful of facts. These are the ones people are most often asked for, gathered in one place.
When and where it happened
The date, the time if you know it, and the place, as exactly as you can say it.
Who was involved
The person or business on the other side, and the name it uses on its papers or its sign.
What happened, in order
Written down while it is fresh, in your own words, with what was said.
What it cost
Bills, receipts, estimates, repair quotes, and days of work missed, each with its amount.
Photos and papers
Pictures of the place, the damage or the injury, and every letter, contract, receipt or email.
Witnesses
Who saw it, and a phone number or address for each.
Reports already made
A police or incident report, a claim number with an insurer, or a complaint to an agency.
Insurance
Your own policy, and any insurer for the other side that you have been told about.
Keep it in one place
A case keeps all of it together in your account: what happened and when, what it cost, the people involved, every photo and paper kept privately, and one folder ready to download or send to a lawyer.
MyRightz is legal education, not legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney client relationship. Applying the law to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney.