What is the Connecticut Statute of Limitations (Deadline) for Filing a Claim for a Collision or Accident Involving a Car?

The statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit arising from a car or auto accident in Connecticut is TWO YEARS from the date of the collision.

See Connecticut General Statutes § 52-284. (The entire text is printed below.)

Please note: that if you were injured by a drunk driver and you want to sue the entity that provided or sold the alcohol to the drunk driver, the statute of limitations is ONE YEAR from the date of service. Such a claim would be known as a statutory dram shop claim pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes § 30-102. Also, you would need to give written notice to the entity that sold the alcohol to the intoxicated person within 120 or 180 days, depending on the circumstances.

Also, note that 52-584 has a three year period of repose, which means in some limited circumstances the claim can be brought up to three years after the collision. But those are limited circumstances that you would probably not want to rely on. And there is a five year period of repose for a Connecticut wrongful death claim arising from a motor vehicle collision. See General Statutes § 52-555.

Here is the complete text of Connecticut General Statutes § 52-584.
Limitation of action for injury to person or property caused by negligence, misconduct or malpractice

“No action to recover damages for injury to the person, or to real or personal property, caused by negligence, or by reckless or wanton misconduct, or by malpractice of a physician, surgeon, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor, hospital or sanatorium, shall be brought but within TWO YEARS from the date when the injury is first sustained or discovered or in the exercise of reasonable care should have been discovered, and except that no such action may be brought more than THREE YEARS from the date of the act or omission complained of, except that a counterclaim may be interposed in any such action any time before the pleadings in such action are finally closed.”

If you have any questions or have a claim, please give us a call. Advocates Law Firm LLC has represented thousands of people in car accident claims since 1983.