Sec. 52-195. Effect of failure to accept defendant's offer of compromise.

(a) If the plaintiff does not, within the time allowed for acceptance of the offer of compromise and before the commencement of the trial, file the plaintiff's notice of acceptance, the offer shall be deemed to be withdrawn and shall not be given in evidence.

(b) Unless the plaintiff recovers more than the sum specified in the offer of compromise, with interest from its date, the plaintiff shall recover no costs accruing after the plaintiff received notice of the filing of such offer, but shall pay the defendant's costs accruing after the plaintiff received notice. Such costs may include reasonable attorney's fees in an amount not to exceed three hundred fifty dollars.

(c) This section shall not be interpreted to abrogate the contractual rights of any party concerning the recovery of attorney's fees in accordance with the provisions of any written contract between the parties to the action. The provisions of this section shall not apply to cases in which nominal damages have been assessed upon a hearing after a default or after a demurrer has been overruled.

(1949 Rev., S. 7944; P.A. 79-250, S. 2; P.A. 82-160, S. 96; P.A. 05-275, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 79-250 specified that costs may include attorney's fees not exceeding $350 and that provisions do not abrogate contractual rights re recovery of attorney's fees; P.A. 82-160 rephrased the section and inserted Subsec. indicators; P.A. 05-275 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to replace “offer of judgment” with “offer of compromise” where appearing and make technical changes, effective October 1, 2005, and applicable to actions accruing on or after that date.

Notation

Cited. 163 C. 445. The phrase “such costs may include reasonable attorney's fees” modifies only the term “defendant's costs” in the immediately preceding clause of statute. 188 C. 213. Cited. 239 C. 708. Plaintiff must establish all of the elements of a negligence claim, including causation and actual injury, in order to recover and, therefore, the technical legal injury concept does not apply to a negligence action. 277 C. 364.

Cited. 8 CA 254.

Cited. 10 CS 166. Reasonableness of offer of judgment discussed. 39 CS 467.

Subsec. (b):

Subsec. requires payment of costs that are authorized elsewhere in statute if plaintiff fails to recover more than the offer of compromise, and because no statute authorizes costs for expenses of daily expedited trial transcripts, defendants' attorney's attendance at videoconference deposition or defendants' and defendants' employee trial testimony, trial court improperly authorized such costs. 289 C. 61.