Short answer. Connecticut has an unusual law that lets a court award double or triple damages against a driver who deliberately or with reckless disregard broke certain traffic laws, like drunk driving or reckless speeding, when that violation was a substantial factor in the crash.
Few states have anything like it. For people hurt by a drunk or reckless driver in Hartford, it can make a real difference.
The statute
Under CGS 14-295, the trier of fact may award double or treble damages when the injured party specifically pleads that the other driver deliberately or with reckless disregard violated one or more of the statutes named in it, and the violation was a substantial factor in causing the injury, death or property damage. Those statutes cover the following.
- Speeding and reckless driving.
- Driving under the influence.
- Following too closely.
- Failing to keep right and improper passing.
- Driving the wrong way on a one-way road or divided highway.
The award is discretionary, meaning the jury or judge decides whether to multiply damages and by how much.
How it works in practice
The claim has to be pleaded specifically in the complaint. Typical proof includes the criminal file, toxicology results, the speed readout from the car’s airbag control module, witness statements and video. A conviction isn’t required, but it can help.
The multiplied portion isn’t simply compensation, so insurance coverage questions can arise. Some policies may not cover the extra damages, which can leave the reckless driver personally responsible for part of the judgment.
Common Hartford scenarios
- A drunk driver leaving downtown runs a light on Asylum Avenue.
- A driver racing on I-84 at night rear-ends a car at high speed.
- A driver weaving through traffic on Farmington Avenue sideswipes a cyclist.
Comparative fault still applies
The injured person’s own negligence is still compared under CGS 52-572h. See comparative fault.
Reports, filing clocks and the proof a damages-multiplier claim needs
A claim for double or treble damages under CGS 14-295 has to be specifically pleaded, and the qualifying violation has to have been a substantial factor in the injury. The official crash report will not use that language, but the narrative, any mention of alcohol, speed or a fleeing driver, and the diagram are often the first proof an insurer or a court sees. Ask Hartford Police for the report number. The report office is at 253 High Street, at (860) 757-4150, open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Reports are often ready in 7 to 15 business days, and the copy fee is 50 cents a page, per the Hartford Police report page.
The ordinary injury period remains two years from the date the injury is sustained or discovered, and no more than three years from the act, under CGS 52-584. A death claim is generally two years measured from death, and no more than five years from the act, under CGS 52-555. Comparative fault still applies under CGS 52-572h. A multiplier does not pause those clocks, and it does not excuse a late 90-day road-defect notice under CGS 13a-149 or CGS 13a-144 if a town or State highway is also involved.
Ordinary liability minimums are $25,000 and $50,000 for injury to the person, plus $25,000 for damage to property. UM and UIM coverage generally has to at least match the bodily-injury limits under CGS 38a-336. A doubled or trebled award can exceed those figures, which is why a complete insurer list and your own UIM coverage belong in the first-week file alongside any criminal-court paperwork. The Office of Victim Services generally allows three years to apply, with a police report, and may pay up to $15,000 for physical injury, $25,000 for a survivor and $6,000 for funeral costs. Call 1-888-286-7347. That program is separate from the civil multiplier.
Hartford Superior Court is at 95 Washington Street, and the civil clerk can be reached at (860) 548-2700. Official civil filing fees have included $360 for a civil case, $95 for small claims and $440 for a jury, with a $5,000 small-claims limit. Confirm current amounts on the Judicial Branch pages before you pay. Photograph the scene, get follow-up care in writing, and skip a recorded interview until a lawyer has reviewed the facts with you. Keep the official report, the treatment bills and any charging documents in one folder.
If a commercial truck was involved, copy the USDOT number and check the federal tired-driver rule in 49 CFR 392.3. A fatigued commercial driver must stop rather than push onward on I-84 or I-91 through Hartford, and hours-of-service logs can be overwritten if no one asks that they be saved. Schedule a follow-up exam and save the chart notes, even if the pain had not started yet. If a child was hurt, get counsel promptly about how the two-year and three-year limits in CGS 52-584 fit a minor’s claim, rather than waiting until a child turns 18 to assemble the official report.
Statewide Legal Services can be reached at 1-800-453-3320 for people who may qualify for free civil legal help. That hotline does not file the civil case for you. Keep a written log of every insurer call, including the day and the person’s name.
Questions to ask a lawyer
- Do the facts support a 14-295 claim in my case?
- Which statutes did the other driver likely violate?
- How would multiplied damages be collected?
General information only, not legal advice.