How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Connecticut?

Updated November 2026. After an injury, dealing with a lawsuit's deadline is often the last thing on your mind. Between medical appointments, missed work, and simply trying to feel like yourself again, the legal clock ticking in the background is easy to forget. But in Connecticut, missing your filing deadline can permanently end your right to recover compensation, no matter how strong your case would otherwise have been. Here's what to know about Connecticut's personal injury statute of limitations, the exceptions that change it, and the shorter notice deadlines that catch people by surprise.

For most personal injury claims in Connecticut, including car accidents, slip-and-falls, and other negligence-based injuries, the statute of limitations is two years. This deadline comes from Connecticut General Statutes Section 52-584. The two years generally start on the date the injury is sustained, or the date it was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered if it wasn't obvious right away. There is also an outer limit: no action can be brought more than three years from the act or omission that caused the injury, even if you didn't know about it yet. The same rule covers property damage caused by negligence, such as damage to your car in a crash.

Certain types of claims carry different deadlines. Medical malpractice claims fall under the same two-year limit and three-year outer limit in Section 52-584. Because Connecticut requires a written opinion from a similar health care provider before a malpractice case can be filed, the law allows an automatic 90-day extension if you petition the court clerk before the deadline runs. Wrongful death claims run on their own clock under Section 52-555: generally two years from the date of death, but never more than five years from the act or omission that caused it. That five-year cap is why families should speak with a Connecticut wrongful death attorney early, especially when a death follows a long illness after the original injury.

Other claims run on different clocks entirely. Injuries from intentional acts, such as an assault, generally have three years from the act under Section 52-577. Product liability claims have three years from when the injury was or should have been discovered under Section 52-577a. Childhood sexual abuse claims have far longer deadlines under Section 52-577d: up to age 48 for abuse before October 1, 2019, and up to age 51 for abuse after that date, with no deadline at all in some cases where the abuser was convicted of felony sexual assault. Our page on childhood sexual abuse claims explains more. If a defendant fraudulently concealed the facts that would have told you a claim existed, the clock may not start until you discover them. Because these exceptions are fact-specific and easy to misapply, it's important to have an attorney confirm your actual deadline rather than relying on the general two-year rule alone.

Your own auto policy also has rules of its own. Most policies require prompt notice of any accident. For uninsured and underinsured motorist claims, Connecticut doesn't allow a policy to limit the time to sue or demand arbitration to less than three years from the accident. For an underinsured motorist claim, giving your insurer written notice of the claim before that period runs out can preserve it while the at-fault driver's coverage is resolved. A generic accident report may not be enough, so the notice should specifically mention underinsured motorist benefits.

If your injury involved a town, city, state agency or other government entity, much shorter notice requirements can apply. A fall on a defective town sidewalk or a crash caused by a defective local road requires written notice to the municipality within 90 days under Section 13a-149, and a defect on a state highway requires written notice to the Commissioner of Transportation within 90 days under Section 13a-144. Most other claims for money damages against the State of Connecticut must be filed with the Office of the Claims Commissioner within one year. Crashes caused by a state employee driving a state-owned vehicle are an exception that can be brought directly in court under Section 52-556. Some claims involving municipal employees also require written notice to the town clerk within six months.

5. Connecticut Injury Deadlines at a Glance

• Car accidents, slip-and-falls and other negligence claims: 2 years from injury or discovery, and no more than 3 years from the act (Section 52-584).
• Property damage from negligence: 2 years, with the same 3-year outer limit (Section 52-584).
• Medical malpractice: 2 years and 3 years, plus an automatic 90-day extension on petition (Sections 52-584 and 52-190a).
• Wrongful death: 2 years from death, and no more than 5 years from the act (Section 52-555).
• Assault and other intentional acts: 3 years from the act (Section 52-577).
• Defective products: 3 years from injury or discovery (Section 52-577a).
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims: no less than 3 years from the accident under your policy (Section 38a-336).
• Defective town road or sidewalk: written notice within 90 days (Section 13a-149).
• Defective state highway: written notice within 90 days (Section 13a-144).
• Most claims against the State of Connecticut: filed with the Claims Commissioner within 1 year (Section 4-148).

These are general rules, and the facts of a case can change how they apply. If you were in a crash recently, our guide on what to do after a car accident in Connecticut covers the first steps. If you're weighing a deal with the other driver, read about settling a car accident privately before you sign a release.

6. What to Do If You're Unsure Whether You're Still Within the Deadline