Fix Connecticut's Recreational Liability Law
- by: savethemdctrails.org
- recipient: Connecticut General Assembly
We, the undersigned, ask the Connecticut General Assembly to fix the Recreational Liability Statute by providing immunity against personal injury lawsuits for municipalities that a) allow free access to their land, and b) use reasonable care in maintaining it for non-motorized recreational purposes. Municipalities include nonprofit municipal corporations like the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC).
The existing Statute (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 52-557f et seq.) provides strong liability protection for private landowners and private corporations such as utilities, and it includes liability protection for municipalities that was supposed to be equally strong when it was passed in 1971. However, court interpretations of the statute -- in cases such as Conway v. Wilton and the May, 2010 jury award of $2.9 million to a mountain biker injured at the MDC Reservoir in West Hartford -- have made it clear that the statutory immunity against liability for municipalities is not strong enough.
Fixing the Recreational Liability Statute is critical to protect and encourage municipal landowners:
1) To promote public health through increasing outdoor recreation opportunities in Connecticut, and
2) To keep open properties such as those around the MDC West Hartford Reservoir for non-motorized recreational activities.
Please fix the Recreational Liability Statute by providing immunity against personal injury lawsuits for municipalities that a) allow free access to their land, and b) use reasonable care in maintaining it for non-motorized recreational purposes. Municipalities include nonprofit municipal corporations like the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC).
The existing Statute (Conn. Gen. Stat. %uFFFD%uFFFD 52-557f et seq.) provides strong liability protection for private landowners and private corporations such as utilities, and it includes liability protection for municipalities that was supposed to be equally strong when it was passed in 1971. However, court interpretations of the statute -- in cases such as Conway v. Wilton and the May, 2010 jury award of $2.9 million to a mountain biker injured at the MDC Reservoir in West Hartford -- have made it clear that the statutory immunity against liability for municipalities is not strong enough.
Fixing the Recreational Liability Statute is critical to protect and encourage municipal landowners:
1) To promote public health through increasing outdoor recreation opportunities in Connecticut, and
2) To keep open properties such as those around the MDC%u2019s West Hartford Reservoir for non-motorized recreational activities.
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