How is Venue Determined for a Connecticut Motor Vehicle Accident Claim Filed in State Court?

If we cannot resolve your auto accident claim with the auto insurance company on terms satisfactory to you, we would need to file a lawsuit. Most auto accident lawsuits are filed in state superior court. In Connecticut, there are thirteen primary Judicial Districts for the Superior Court, as established by General Statute § 51-344, with each Judicial District covering certain towns.

We would use our experience and judgment and file your lawsuit in the courthouse that is the most appropriate “venue” for your auto accident claim. (Venue is a legal term that simply refers to the location where a lawsuit should be filed; if a lawsuit is filed in the wrong courthouse, it could be dismissed.)

For a civil action involving personal injuries or wrongful death arising from a collision or accident involving a car, truck, or motorcycle, venue is determined by where a person resides or where an injury occurred. In short, a claim can be filed in the judicial district where you reside; where the defendant resides; or, if neither party parties reside in Connecticut, where the accident or injury occurred. See Connecticut General Statute § 51-345. (And in some cases, depending on where a party lives, we can choose between two different judicial districts; more on this later.)

Here is an alphabetical list of all thirteen judicial districts and towns in each district:

The judicial district of Ansonia-Milford consists of the towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton and West Haven.

The judicial district of Danbury consists of the towns of Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield and Sherman.

The judicial district of Fairfield consists of the towns of Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull.

The judicial district of Hartford consists of the towns of Avon, Bloomfield, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Manchester, Marlborough, Simsbury, South Windsor, Suffield, West Hartford, Windsor and Windsor Locks.

The judicial district of Litchfield consists of the towns of Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, New Milford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington and Winchester.

The judicial district of Middlesex consists of the towns of Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Saybrook, Portland and Westbrook.

The judicial district of New Britain consists of the towns of Berlin, Bristol, Burlington, New Britain, Newington, Plainville, Plymouth, Rocky Hill, Southington and Wethersfield.

The judicial district of New Haven consists of the towns of Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Meriden, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Wallingford and Woodbridge. (Please note that this Judicial District has two courts, one in New Haven and one in Meriden.)

The judicial district of New London consists of the towns of Bozrah, Colchester, East Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Preston, Salem, Sprague, Stonington, Voluntown and Waterford. (Please note that this Judicial District has two courts, one in New London and one in Norwich.)

The judicial district of Stamford-Norwalk consists of the towns of Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

The judicial district of Tolland consists of the towns of Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Ellington, Hebron, Mansfield, Somers, Stafford, Tolland, Union, Vernon and Willington.

The judicial district of Waterbury consists of the towns of Middlebury, Naugatuck, Prospect, Southbury, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury.

The judicial district of Windham consists of the towns of Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Eastford, Hampton, Killingly, Plainfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Scotland, Sterling, Thompson, Windham and Woodstock. (Please note that this Judicial District has two courts, one in Putnam and one in Willimantic.)

Some towns fall into two judicial districts, thereby giving us an option of where to file your auto accident lawsuit. See General Statute § 51-345 (3). Here is the list of those towns and the judicial districts where we can file your lawsuit:

If either the plaintiff or the defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Manchester, East Windsor, South Windsor or Enfield, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of Hartford or Tolland.

If either the plaintiff or the defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Plymouth, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of New Britain or Waterbury.

If either the plaintiff or the defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Bethany, Milford, West Haven or Woodbridge, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of New Haven or Ansonia-Milford.

If either the plaintiff or the defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Southbury, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of Ansonia-Milford or Waterbury.

If either the plaintiff or defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport or Wilton, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of Stamford-Norwalk or Fairfield.

If either the plaintiff or defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Watertown or Woodbury, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of Waterbury or Litchfield.

If either the plaintiff or defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Avon, Canton, Farmington or Simsbury, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of Hartford or New Britain.

If either the plaintiff or defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Newington, Rocky Hill or Wethersfield, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of Hartford or New Britain.

If either the plaintiff or defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of Cromwell, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of Hartford or Middlesex.

If either the plaintiff or defendant in an auto accident injury claim resides in the town of New Milford, the action may be filed in either the judicial district of Danbury or Litchfield.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or loss caused by a car accident, motorcycle accident, or truck accident, please contact our Auto Accident Law Group to arrange a free and confidential consultation.

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