Connecticut Fault Rule
Modified Comparative Negligence (51% Bar): Connecticut operates under a 51% modified comparative negligence standard. Claimants can recover damages if their fault is 50% or less, with recovery barred at 51% or higher.
Statute of Limitations
2 Years (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h & § 52-584): Claimants must finalize settlement agreements or initiate formal civil actions within 2 years of the collision date.
Statutory Insurance Minimums
25/50/25 ($25k bodily injury / $50k per accident / $25k property damage): These mandatory insurance minimums represent the maximum available coverage under standard policies unless the driver purchased higher optional coverage.
How Fault Apportionment Affects Claims in Connecticut
When negotiating auto accident claims in Connecticut, insurance adjusters calculate damages using an itemized formula that adds economic losses (medical bills, future treatment, lost earnings, property repair) to non-economic damages (pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life).
Under Connecticut General Statutes § 52-572h, contributory negligence does not bar recovery in an action to recover damages for personal injury if that negligence was not greater than the combined negligence of the person or persons against whom recovery is sought. Connecticut imposes a 2-year statute of limitations under C.G.S. § 52-584. Understanding this threshold prevents accident victims from being pressured into unfair initial liability splits during adjusters' telephone recorded statements.