Millions Recovered
Two Clocks Limit Estate Claims for Fatal Harm
Last Updated - October 30, 2026
Read Time - Ex: 4 minutes
Two Clocks Limit Estate Claims for Fatal Harm
When a loved one dies because of someone else’s carelessness, a family faces grief and paperwork at the same moment. Connecticut law lets the estate pursue a claim for the death, but it sets time limits that can end the claim if they pass unnoticed. Knowing the structure early helps a family plan around it.
Who Brings the Claim in Connecticut
Connecticut General Statutes section 52-555 allows an executor or administrator to bring an action for injuries resulting in death, whether the death was instantaneous or not. The claim belongs to the estate and is brought by its representative.
The statute lets the representative recover just damages, together with the cost of reasonably necessary medical, hospital, and nursing services and funeral expenses. Opening the estate and naming a fiduciary is therefore an early step.
Two Limits Run at Once
The same section requires the action to be brought within two years from the date of death. It also sets an outer limit. No action may be brought more than five years from the date of the act or omission complained of.
The two limits can interact. When a death follows an injury by many months, the five-year period measured from the negligent act can matter as much as the two-year period measured from the death.
An Exception for Certain Homicide Offenses
Subsection (b) creates an exception to the time limit. If the party at fault was convicted, or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, of certain listed homicide-related offenses, the action may be brought at any time after the act or omission.
The exception is narrow and depends on the offense and the outcome of the criminal case. Families shouldn’t count on it without confirming that it applies.
What Evidence to Keep
Evidence is easiest to collect in the first weeks. Useful records include:
- Police or accident reports
- Hospital and treatment records
- The death certificate
- Photos and video of the scene
- Bills for medical care and funeral costs
Photographs and statements lose detail with time, and surveillance video can be overwritten, so requests to preserve evidence should go out early. Records requests can take time to fill, so sending them promptly helps.
Fatal truck crashes involve extra layers of records. Families dealing with a fatal truck accident need those records preserved quickly.
Trucking companies keep their own files, and a Waterbury truck accident lawyer can explain how those are requested. Driver logs and maintenance files are two examples.
Causes of Fatal Claims in Waterbury
Fatal claims come from several kinds of events. Car collisions raise insurance and fault questions that a Waterbury car accident lawyer can address.
Deaths in a care facility raise a different set of duties. Families can ask a Waterbury nursing home abuse lawyer to review them.
Medical care can also be the cause. When a death follows a diagnosis or treatment decision, a Waterbury medical malpractice lawyer can explain how those claims differ.
Steps a Family Can Take Now
Families who have lost a loved one in a crash can start by writing down the date of death and the date of the negligent act, which gives both statutory clocks a starting point. Keeping every letter from an insurer and every bill in one folder prevents missing papers later.
Who Reviews the Claim
Anyone who isn’t sure which deadline applies can ask a Waterbury wrongful death lawyer to review the dates, the cause of death, and any related criminal case. That review also considers whether the five-year outer limit has any bearing on the case.
Ron Etemi, the founder of Etemi Law Injury Lawyers, has practiced law since 2010 and served as an appellate clerk for Judge Richard A. Robinson, who later became Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Before founding our firm, he worked in insurance defense, which gave him insight into how insurers evaluate and defend claims.
The two-year and five-year limits run from different dates. Anyone in Waterbury who lost a loved one to negligence can reach out to us, and we’ll review the dates and the options together.
Case Results
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Rear-End Collision
$850,000
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Tractor Trailer Accident
$1,600,000
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Wrongful Death Judgment
$24,500,000
Judgment against drunk driver in wrongful death case.
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Wrongful Death Judgment
$5,500,000
Drunk driver in wrongful death car accident.
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Auto v. Auto Accident
$600,000
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Motor Vehicle Collision
$375,000
Wrist injury from car accident.
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Car Crash
$100,000
Hand injury caused during automobile crash.
-
Motor Vehicle Collision
$325,000
Car accident with highly disputed liability.
-
Rear-End Collision
$100,000
Settlement in connection with rear-end collision resulting in whiplash injury.
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Commercial Motor Vehicle Collision
$2,490,000
-
Motor Vehicle Collision
$1,100,000
Involving neck and back injuries.
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Automobile Collision
$500,000
Case involving automobile collision resulting in serious bodily injuries.
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Motor Vehicle Collision
$1,200,000
Award from arbitration.
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Soft Tissue Settlement
$300,000
Low velocity soft tissue settlement.
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Rear-End Collision
$195,000
Settlement involving minor property damage rear end collision resulting in neck injury.
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Motor Vehicle Crash
$600,000
Involving spinal injury.
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Motor Vehicle Collision
$225,000
Settlement involving motor vehicle collision with neck injury.
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Automobile Collision
$100,000
Case involving automobile collision resulting in soft tissue injury to the neck and back.
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Dog Bite Injuries
$600,000
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Car Accident
$100,000
Policy limit settlement for nose injury from airbag deployment.
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Rear-End Collision
$250,000
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Mediated Settlement
$155,000
Mediated settlement in case involving complex claims of injury.
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Rear-End Collision
$100,000
Settlement in connection with hit-and-run rear end collision caught on camera. The case involved soft-tissue injuries.
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Hit and Run Highway Crash
$395,000
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Rear-End Collision
$100,000
Settlement involving rear end motor vehicle collision resulting in hand injury.
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Motor Vehicle Collision
$250,000
Settlement involving motor vehicle collision involving neck injury.
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Head-On Car Crash
$285,000
Leg injury following head-on car crash.
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Motor Vehicle Collision
$75,000
Case involving motor vehicle collision resulting in bulging discs in lower back.
Etemi Law Injury Lawyers
Founded by Waterbury natives Ron and Lou Etemi, our firm is deeply connected to the communities we serve. We bring determined advocacy and proven results to serious injury cases across Connecticut.