Statute of Limitations for Assault and Battery (intentional tort) in Connecticut

Overview

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

In Connecticut, the statute of limitations (SOL) for an intentional tort claim like assault and battery is generally 3 years under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577a.

This is the default/general limitations period most people use as a starting point for intentional personal-injury tort claims. Connecticut’s limitations framework may treat different claim categories differently, but no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found specifically for assault and battery beyond this general rule.

Limitation period

The general limitations period is 3 years.

What the clock usually starts from

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577a, the SOL runs from when the cause of action accrues—practically, that is often described as when the injury occurs or when the wrongful conduct gives rise to the claim. For many assault and battery cases, that typically lines up with the date of the incident.

That said, accrual can be fact-dependent. To get the most accurate deadline estimate, be precise about:

• the incident date (the date the alleged assault/battery occurred),
• any date when the harm became known or otherwise relevant to your theory (if your situation involves knowledge-based accrual concepts), and
• any tolling or procedural events that could affect timing.

How DocketMath helps you model deadlines

Use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator to convert the general “3 years” rule into a concrete filing deadline.

Common workflow:

1. Enter the start date (often the incident/accrual date).
2. Choose jurisdiction: US-CT.
3. Use the general 3-year SOL setting that corresponds to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577a.
4. If your facts raise tolling questions, add the tolling inputs in the calculator (if your tool supports them) so you can see how the earliest/latest filing dates move.

To run the calculator, use: /tools/statute-of-limitations.

Key exceptions

Connecticut’s SOL analysis doesn’t always stop at “incident date + 3 years.” In practice, the result can change due to tolling, accrual details, or the possible application of a different limitations rule.

1) Tolling (pauses or extends the deadline)

Certain events can pause (toll) the running of the SOL, depending on the circumstances. The exact tolling rules are fact-specific and depend on the legal posture and statutory framework.

A practical checklist for tolling-related facts:

• Was the potential plaintiff under a legal disability during the relevant period?
• Did the defendant leave the state or otherwise trigger a statutory tolling event?
• Is there procedural history, such as a prior timely action that affects the timing of a subsequent filing?

Pitfall to avoid: If you assume the SOL is always exactly “incident date + 3 years,” you can miss a tolling period that pushes the deadline later—or you might mis-handle a scenario where accrual is treated differently. Use the calculator to model the baseline, then sanity-check against your specific facts.

2) Accrual may not match the incident date in every scenario

Even though the general rule is 3 years, the accrual trigger can shift based on facts and legal theory. Assault and battery claims often accrue at or near the incident date, but it’s not always safe to assume that in every situation.

Practical approach:

• Start from the incident date as your first estimate.
• If harm manifested later, or if knowledge timing matters to your theory, flag that possibility early—because it can change the “start date” used in the SOL calculation.

3) A different statute might apply

This page uses the general default period from Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577a because no assault-and-battery-specific sub-rule was found. Still, some cases may involve additional claims that trigger different SOL rules.

For example:

• If your pleading includes statutory causes of action (not just common-law assault and battery), the SOL may differ depending on the specific statute invoked.
• Certain regulated relationships or specialized statutory frameworks can lead to specialized timing rules rather than the general default.

Statute citation

• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577a — 3 years (general default limitations period for applicable personal-injury tort claims)

Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-52/chapter-926/section-52-577a/?utm_source=openai

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath to translate Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577a’s 3-year default SOL into deadline dates you can track.

What inputs to enter

Typically:

• Start date (accrual date): often the date of the incident
• Jurisdiction: US-CT
• SOL rule: select the general 3-year rule aligned with Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577a

How outputs change with your inputs

Your calculator outputs generally change based on:

• Start date choice: shifting the accrual/incident date moves the entire deadline window.
• Tolling assumptions: adding tolling can extend the latest filing date (and sometimes affects the earliest date depending on tool logic).
• Filing-day logic: deadlines may be sensitive to how the calculator treats exact days, as well as weekends/holidays.

Start here: /tools/statute-of-limitations

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Statute of limitations in United States (Federal): how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules