2013 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 7 - Municipalities
Chapter 113 - Municipal Employees
Section 7-465 - *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Assumption of liability for damage caused by employee of municipality or member of local emergency planning district. Joint liability of municipalities in district department of health or regional planning agency.

(a) Any town, city or borough, notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, general, special or local, shall pay on behalf of any employee of such municipality, except firemen covered under the provisions of section 7-308, and on behalf of any member from such municipality of a local emergency planning district, appointed pursuant to section 22a-601, all sums which such employee becomes obligated to pay by reason of the liability imposed upon such employee by law for damages awarded for infringement of any person’s civil rights or for physical damages to person or property, except as set forth in this section, if the employee, at the time of the occurrence, accident, physical injury or damages complained of, was acting in the performance of his duties and within the scope of his employment, and if such occurrence, accident, physical injury or damage was not the result of any wilful or wanton act of such employee in the discharge of such duty. This section shall not apply to physical injury to a person caused by an employee to a fellow employee while both employees are engaged in the scope of their employment for such municipality if the employee suffering such injury or, in the case of his death, his dependent, has a right to benefits or compensation under chapter 568 by reason of such injury. If an employee or, in the case of his death, his dependent, has a right to benefits or compensation under chapter 568 by reason of injury or death caused by the negligence or wrong of a fellow employee while both employees are engaged in the scope of their employment for such municipality, such employee or, in the case of his death, his dependent, shall have no cause of action against such fellow employee to recover damages for such injury or death unless such wrong was wilful and malicious or the action is based on the fellow employee’s negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle, as defined in section 14-1. This section shall not apply to libel or slander proceedings brought against any such employee and, in such cases, there is no assumption of liability by any town, city or borough. Any employee of such municipality, although excused from official duty at the time, for the purposes of this section shall be deemed to be acting in the discharge of duty when engaged in the immediate and actual performance of a public duty imposed by law. Such municipality may arrange for and maintain appropriate insurance or may elect to act as a self-insurer to maintain such protection. No action for personal physical injuries or damages to real or personal property shall be maintained against such municipality and employee jointly unless such action is commenced within two years after the cause of action therefor arose and written notice of the intention to commence such action and of the time when and the place where the damages were incurred or sustained has been filed with the clerk of such municipality within six months after such cause of action has accrued. Governmental immunity shall not be a defense in any action brought under this section. In any such action the municipality and the employee may be represented by the same attorney if the municipality, at the time such attorney enters his appearance, files a statement with the court, which shall not become part of the pleadings or judgment file, that it will pay any final judgment rendered in such action against such employee. No mention of any kind shall be made of such statement by any counsel during the trial of such action. As used in this section, “employee” includes (1) a member of a town board of education and any teacher, including a student teacher doing practice teaching under the direction of such a teacher, or other person employed by such board, and (2) a member of the local emergency planning committee from such municipality appointed pursuant to section 22a-601. Nothing in this section shall be construed to abrogate the right of any person, board or commission which may accrue under section 10-235.

(b) Each town, city or borough which has joined with other towns, cities or boroughs to form a district department of health, pursuant to chapter 368f, or a regional planning agency, pursuant to chapter 127, shall jointly assume the liability imposed upon any officer, agent or employee of such district department of health or such regional planning agency, acting in the performance of his duties and in the scope of his employment, under, and in the manner and in accordance with the procedures set forth in, subsection (a) of this section. Such joint assumption of liability shall be proportionately shared by the towns, cities and boroughs in such district or regional planning agency, on the same basis that the expenses of such district are shared as determined under section 19a-243, or such regional planning agency as determined under section 8-34a.

(1957, P.A. 401, S. 1; 1959, P.A. 651, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 375; 1963, P.A. 97; February, 1965, P.A. 277; 1971, P.A. 226, S. 1; P.A. 73-610; P.A. 75-408, S. 3; P.A. 77-502, S. 1; P.A. 81-229, S. 2; P.A. 82-472, S. 20, 183; P.A. 85-521, S. 1; P.A. 89-212, S. 12; P.A. 03-278, S. 19.)

*Note: On and after January 1, 2015, this section, as amended by section 273 of public act 13-247, is to read as follows:

“Sec. 7-465. Assumption of liability for damage caused by employee of municipality or member of local emergency planning district. Joint liability of municipalities in district department of health or regional council of governments. (a) Any town, city or borough, notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, general, special or local, shall pay on behalf of any employee of such municipality, except firemen covered under the provisions of section 7-308, and on behalf of any member from such municipality of a local emergency planning district, appointed pursuant to section 22a-601, all sums which such employee becomes obligated to pay by reason of the liability imposed upon such employee by law for damages awarded for infringement of any person’s civil rights or for physical damages to person or property, except as set forth in this section, if the employee, at the time of the occurrence, accident, physical injury or damages complained of, was acting in the performance of his duties and within the scope of his employment, and if such occurrence, accident, physical injury or damage was not the result of any wilful or wanton act of such employee in the discharge of such duty. This section shall not apply to physical injury to a person caused by an employee to a fellow employee while both employees are engaged in the scope of their employment for such municipality if the employee suffering such injury or, in the case of his death, his dependent, has a right to benefits or compensation under chapter 568 by reason of such injury. If an employee or, in the case of his death, his dependent, has a right to benefits or compensation under chapter 568 by reason of injury or death caused by the negligence or wrong of a fellow employee while both employees are engaged in the scope of their employment for such municipality, such employee or, in the case of his death, his dependent, shall have no cause of action against such fellow employee to recover damages for such injury or death unless such wrong was wilful and malicious or the action is based on the fellow employee’s negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle, as defined in section 14-1. This section shall not apply to libel or slander proceedings brought against any such employee and, in such cases, there is no assumption of liability by any town, city or borough. Any employee of such municipality, although excused from official duty at the time, for the purposes of this section shall be deemed to be acting in the discharge of duty when engaged in the immediate and actual performance of a public duty imposed by law. Such municipality may arrange for and maintain appropriate insurance or may elect to act as a self-insurer to maintain such protection. No action for personal physical injuries or damages to real or personal property shall be maintained against such municipality and employee jointly unless such action is commenced within two years after the cause of action therefor arose and written notice of the intention to commence such action and of the time when and the place where the damages were incurred or sustained has been filed with the clerk of such municipality within six months after such cause of action has accrued. Governmental immunity shall not be a defense in any action brought under this section. In any such action the municipality and the employee may be represented by the same attorney if the municipality, at the time such attorney enters his appearance, files a statement with the court, which shall not become part of the pleadings or judgment file, that it will pay any final judgment rendered in such action against such employee. No mention of any kind shall be made of such statement by any counsel during the trial of such action. As used in this section, “employee” includes (1) a member of a town board of education and any teacher, including a student teacher doing practice teaching under the direction of such a teacher, or other person employed by such board, and (2) a member of the local emergency planning committee from such municipality appointed pursuant to section 22a-601. Nothing in this section shall be construed to abrogate the right of any person, board or commission which may accrue under section 10-235.

(b) Each town, city or borough which has joined with other towns, cities or boroughs to form a district department of health, pursuant to chapter 368f, or a regional council of governments, pursuant to section 4-124j, shall jointly assume the liability imposed upon any officer, agent or employee of such district department of health or such regional council of governments, acting in the performance of his duties and in the scope of his employment, under, and in the manner and in accordance with the procedures set forth in, subsection (a) of this section. Such joint assumption of liability shall be proportionately shared by the towns, cities and boroughs in such district or regional council of governments, on the same basis that the expenses of such district are shared as determined under section 19a-243.”

(1957, P.A. 401, S. 1; 1959, P.A. 651, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 375; 1963, P.A. 97; February, 1965, P.A. 277; 1971, P.A. 226, S. 1; P.A. 73-610; P.A. 75-408, S. 3; P.A. 77-502, S. 1; P.A. 81-229, S. 2; P.A. 82-472, S. 20, 183; P.A. 85-521, S. 1; P.A. 89-212, S. 12; P.A. 03-278, S. 19; P.A. 13-247, S. 273.)

History: 1959 act added qualifying word “physical” before “damages” and “injury,” added exception for libel and slander and reduced time for filing notice from 6 months to 60 days; 1961 act incorporated provisions re case where injured person is an employee injured by fellow employee and restored notice period to 6 months; 1963 act removed waiting period of 30 days after notice to municipality before action could be commenced and deleted provision for notice to employee as well as to municipality; 1965 act added provisions concerning representation of municipality and employee by same attorney; 1971 act required that action must be brought within two years rather than one year and required that notice be written, effective October 1, 1971, and applicable to injuries first sustained on and after said date; P.A. 73-610 defined “employee” and protected rights of persons, boards and commissions under Sec. 10-235; P.A. 75-408 included awards for infringement of civil rights; P.A. 77-502 added Subsec. (b) re district departments of health; P.A. 81-229 amended Subsec. (b) to include regional planning agencies; P.A. 82-472 corrected a reference to regional planning agency; P.A. 85-521 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize a cause of action by an employee against a fellow employee based on the fellow employee’s negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle; P.A. 89-212 amended Subsec. (a) to require assumption of liability for members of local emergency planning districts; P.A. 03-278 replaced “verdict” with “final judgment” and made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 13-247 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting “council of governments” for “planning agency”, replacing reference to Ch. 127 with reference to Sec. 4-124j and deleting “or such regional planning agency as determined under section 8-34a”, effective January 1, 2015.