Connecticut is a strict liability state for dog bites. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22-357, if a dog does damage to the body or property of any person, the owner or keeper is liable for the amount of that damage. There is no requirement to prove the dog had bitten before or that the owner knew it was dangerous.
Strict liability, not the one bite rule
Some states require a victim to show the owner knew the animal was dangerous. Connecticut does not. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22-357 liability attaches to the owner or keeper of the dog for the damage caused, which is a materially easier standard for an injured person than ordinary negligence.
Owner or keeper
The statute reaches the keeper as well as the owner, so responsibility can extend to someone who was harboring or in control of the dog at the time even if they did not own it.
The exceptions
The statute does not apply where the injured person was trespassing or committing another tort at the time, or was teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog. Those exceptions are frequently where these cases are contested.
Deadline
A dog bite injury claim is subject to the general injury deadline in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584: two years, and in most cases no more than three years from the act or omission complained of.