Is Connecticut a strict liability state for dog bites?
Yes and the rule is broad. Under Connecticut General Statutes section 22-357, if any dog does damage to the body of a person, the owner, the keeper or both are liable for the amount of that damage. A knockdown that breaks a wrist counts as much as a bite.
The keeper can be a relative, a roommate or a dog sitter caring for the dog that day. If the owner or keeper is a minor, the parent or guardian is the one liable.
There are two defenses. The owner does not pay if you were committing a trespass or other tort at the time. The owner also does not pay if you were teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog.
If a child was bitten in Connecticut
Young children get a special shield. When the injured child was under seven, section 22-357 presumes the child was not trespassing, committing a tort or teasing the dog. The owner or keeper must prove otherwise.
That flips the usual fight. An insurer cannot just claim a four-year-old pulled the dog's ears; it has to prove it. See what else changes after a dog bite on a child.
Connecticut dog bite statute of limitations
Section 52-584 sets two years from the date the injury is first sustained or discovered for injury caused by negligence. It also sets a hard stop of three years from the act itself.
A bite is known the day it happens, so count two years from that date. Do not plan on the three-year outer limit. It exists for harm discovered late, which is rarely the case with a dog bite.
A release signed in the first 15 days can be undone
Connecticut protects people who are pressed to settle fast. Under section 52-572a, someone whose interests are adverse to yours may not negotiate a release of their liability in the first fifteen days after the injury.
A release obtained in that window is voidable at your option, as long as you return what you were paid. If an adjuster shows up with a check and a form days after the bite, you do not have to sign. A lawyer can review it first.
Shared fault and police dogs
If you also bring a negligence count, section 52-572h applies. Your own negligence does not bar recovery if it was not greater than the combined negligence of those you sue.
Section 22-357 also covers a dog owned by a police agency and assigned to an officer. A suit against someone in that officer's household starts from a presumption that the household member is not a keeper. You would have to prove that person was a keeper with exclusive control at the time.
Reporting a dog bite and animal control orders
Report the bite to the animal control officer in your town. Under section 22-358, once an officer confirms a person was bitten, the officer may order the dog restrained or disposed of as needed for public safety.
The officer weighs how well the owner can control the dog, how severe the injury was and any history of past bites. The file built for that order records the owner, keeper and dog, which helps your claim later.
How to report a dog bite in Connecticut
Report the bite to your local health department or animal control officer. The Connecticut Department of Public Health, Rabies page sets out the next steps.
Before you sign with anyone, check that the attorney is licensed: use the Connecticut Judicial Branch attorney and firm lookup.
