Connecticut injury rights, deadlines, and help

If you were hurt in Connecticut, you probably want one answer first: how long do I have to act? This page gives you Connecticut's main injury deadlines, what to do right now, and where free help is.

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The deadline box: Connecticut's key time limits

Connecticut's clocks look ordinary at first glance, but two details matter: the lawsuit clock has a hard outer cap, and the workers compensation claim window is only 1 year.

Personal injury lawsuit: 2 years, with a 3-year outer cap. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584, you have 2 years from when the injury is first sustained or discovered (or reasonably should have been discovered). But there is a hard limit: no lawsuit more than 3 years from the act that caused the harm, even if you discovered the injury late. (Source)
Work injury, report to your employer: immediately. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-294b, you report the injury right away. There is no fixed day count, but a late report can reduce your award if the employer proves the delay hurt its ability to respond. (Source)
Work injury, file the claim: 1 year. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-294c, written notice of a workers compensation claim (the state system that pays for work injuries) is due within 1 year of the accident. Occupational disease: 3 years from the first symptom. Death claims have their own timing rules. One year is short. (Source)
Injury involving the state: 1 year to the Claims Commissioner. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4-148, a claim against the State of Connecticut must be presented to the Office of the Claims Commissioner within 1 year of when you discovered it, with an outer limit of 3 years from the event. Towns and cities can have their own separate notice rules, some of them much shorter, so check early if local property like a road or sidewalk is involved. (Source)

One more caution. Medical claims against doctors or hospitals can run on different, often shorter deadlines. Do not assume the general rule covers a hospital or doctor case.

What to do first

Get medical care now. Your health comes first, and the records also document your injury.
If it happened at work, report it today, in writing, and keep a copy. Then calendar the 1-year claim deadline. Reporting to your employer and filing the claim are two different steps.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: date, time, place, people, and conditions.
Take photos of the scene, your injuries, and anything involved (a vehicle, a stair, a machine, a dog).
Get names and contact information for witnesses.
Do not sign anything from an insurance company before you understand your full costs.
Note who owns the place where you were hurt. State property, town roads, and city sidewalks each have their own claim paths and short clocks.

Common situations in Connecticut

Hurt at work. The trap here is the difference between telling your employer and filing the claim. Many people report the injury, get some treatment, and assume the system is handling it. The written claim notice under § 31-294c is a separate step with a 1-year deadline. Make sure it actually gets filed.

Hurt on the road. Connecticut uses modified comparative fault. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h, you can recover if your share of fault is not greater than the combined fault of the others, and your recovery is reduced by your share. Past that point, you recover nothing. (Source) Early photos and witness names keep the fault math honest.

Hurt on someone's property. Falls and unsafe conditions follow the 2-year clock with the 3-year cap. Dog bites are more protective here: under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22-357, the owner or keeper is liable for any damage a dog does to your body or property, unless you were trespassing, committing another wrong, or teasing the dog. Children under 7 are presumed not to have provoked the dog. (Source)

A true story: the veteran who waited too long to ask why

In 1968, Charles Kubrick was treated for a leg infection at a veterans hospital in Pennsylvania. Doctors washed the wound with an antibiotic. Weeks later he started losing his hearing, and by early 1969 a doctor told him the antibiotic had likely caused it. He did not file his claim until 1972, after another doctor told him the treatment should never have been given. The deadline was two years from when he knew of the injury and its cause, not from when he learned it might be malpractice. He won in the lower courts, and then the US Supreme Court ruled his claim was filed too late. He lost everything the lower courts had awarded. (Source: Justia Supreme Court Center)

That case was federal, but the lesson fits Connecticut exactly, because § 52-584 also starts the clock when the injury is discovered, and it adds a hard 3-year cap on top. The clock can be running before anyone tells you someone was at fault. That is not your fault. It is simply why asking questions early protects you.

What we can help with

We are on your side, and our help is free to injured people. We can help you:

Understand which Connecticut deadlines apply to your situation
Make sure your workers comp claim is actually filed, not just reported
Organize your records, photos, and timeline
Find the right next step: medical care, therapy, state benefits, or a licensed attorney when your case needs one
Prepare questions to ask before you hire any lawyer

We do not give legal advice, and we never take money from injured people. We explain your rights in plain language and connect you with licensed help when you need it.

Tell us what happened

If you or someone you love was hurt in Connecticut, you do not have to sort this out alone. Tell us what happened. It is free, private, and there is no pressure.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-08-16

This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can change or vary with the facts. A licensed attorney can confirm the rule for your situation.