Connecticut Workers Comp Guide
The Connecticut workers comp process has a defined order — report, treat, file, wait — and understanding it before you're in the middle of it makes each step less stressful.
How to File a Claim in Connecticut
Before anything else, your employer needs to know. That notification is what triggers their obligation to report the claim to their insurer.
- Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible
- Seek medical treatment and inform the provider it's work-related
- Your employer files a First Report of Injury with their insurer
- File your own claim within Connecticut's deadline — see below
- Cooperate with the insurer's investigation and any requested exams
Filing Deadline and Waiting Period
Connecticut's general filing deadline is 1 year from the date of injury, and there's a 3-day waiting period before wage-replacement benefits begin. See the full filing deadline guide for tolling rules and what happens if you miss it.
Connecticut-Specific Rules That Affect Your Claim
Connecticut calculates your benefit rate against your after-tax (spendable) earnings rather than your gross wages, which is different from how most states calculate benefits. This usually results in a higher effective percentage of take-home pay than the headline rate might suggest, but it also means a simple gross-wage calculation will overstate or understate what you're actually owed.
What Happens After You File
After filing, the waiting period applies before wage-replacement benefits begin, and the insurer will typically assign a claims adjuster to your case shortly after.
Do You Need an Attorney in Connecticut?
Not every Connecticut claim needs an attorney — straightforward claims with no dispute over compensability often resolve without one. But if your claim is denied, disputed, or involves a permanent injury, the calculus changes. Connecticut caps attorney contingency fees at 20%.