State file: Connecticut

Wrongful Death Attorneys in Connecticut: Your Complete Legal Guide

3 min read

2 years General deadline in the table of this guide. The same row names another period for some deaths: read it before relying on this number.

Connecticut handles a death claim through a single statute, section 52-555, titled “Actions for injuries resulting in death.” The executor or administrator brings the action for just damages, including necessary medical, hospital and nursing costs and funeral expenses. The action must be brought within two years from the death, and in any event within five years from the act or omission, with an exception tied to a homicide conviction.

Connecticut Wrongful Death at a Glance

Question Connecticut answer
Governing statute Conn. Gen. Stat. 52-555, "Actions for injuries resulting in death"
Who brings the action? The executor or administrator (52-555)
Damages Just damages, including necessary medical, hospital and nursing costs and funeral expenses (52-555)
Deadline Two years from the death, and no more than five years from the act or omission, with a homicide-conviction exception (52-555)
Recent changes The official page directs readers to the 2026 Supplement for 2025 session changes

Who Brings the Case

Connecticut General Statutes 52-555 governs the action by the executor or administrator of the person who died. Family members do not bring the action in their own names.

What Can Be Recovered

Section 52-555 allows the executor or administrator to recover just damages, together with the cost of reasonably necessary medical, hospital and nursing services and funeral expenses.

The Deadline

The action must be brought within two years from the date of death, and in no event more than five years from the date of the act or omission that caused the death. Subsection (b) removes these time limits in specified homicide cases in which the party legally at fault has been convicted of, or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of, one of the listed homicide offenses. The official statute page also directs readers to the 2026 Supplement for statutes changed during the 2025 session.

Topics This Guide Does Not Cover

Connecticut’s comparative negligence statute, the good-faith certificate requirement in medical malpractice cases and the procedure for claims against the State were not reviewed for this guide. How they apply to a particular death is a question for counsel.

The firm listings below are separate from the legal information above. Statements about the law in a firm description are not part of this guide’s legal review.

Top 3 Wrongful Death Attorneys in Connecticut

1. Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder PC

Koskoff is legendary in Connecticut and nationally – they were lead counsel in the historic Sandy Hook litigation. Their elite trial lawyers excel at presenting a combined narrative of the deceased’s pre-death suffering and the estate’s total financial losses in a single, coherent case. They are the go-to firm for the most complex, high-value fatal negligence cases in the state.

2. Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC

Serving Connecticut for over 80 years, Trantolo & Trantolo has deep understanding of the local probate courts. Since Connecticut requires an executor or administrator to file the suit, their firm provides comprehensive legal support to get the estate established rapidly so the 2-year deadline is strictly met.

3. Carter Mario Law Firm

A highly resourced firm with a Zero Fee Warranty. They are excellent at investigating fatal motor vehicle, motorcycle, and commercial trucking accidents, and aggressively pursue all available damages within Connecticut’s unified wrongful death framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who files a wrongful death action in Connecticut?

The executor or administrator of the estate, under Conn. Gen. Stat. 52-555.

How long does a family have to file?

Two years from the death, and no more than five years from the act or omission, subject to the statute’s homicide-conviction exception.

Has the statute changed recently?

The official statute page directs readers to the 2026 Supplement, revised to January 1, 2026, for statutes changed during the 2025 session.

Sources and Last Review

Connecticut General Statutes section 52-555. This page summarizes these provisions from secondary descriptions of the statutes; the official statutory text was not reviewed for this guide. Last updated October 2026. This page is general information about Connecticut law, not legal advice about a specific death.