In the case of any action to recover damages resulting from personal injury or wrongful death, whether in tort or in contract, in which it is alleged that such injury or death resulted from the negligence of a health care provider, an offer of compromise pursuant to Section 17-14 may be filed not earlier than 365 days after service of process is made on the defendant in such action and, if the offer of compromise is not accepted within sixty days and prior to the rendering of a verdict by the jury or an award by the court, the offer of compromise shall be considered rejected and not subject to acceptance unless refiled.
Section 17-14A.—Alleged Negligence of Health Care Provider
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceIn medical negligence cases, this section pushes back when a plaintiff can file an offer of compromise to 365 days after service of process, and shortens the defendant's acceptance window to sixty days.
Full Text of Section 17-14A
Amendment History
(Adopted June 26, 2006, to take effect Jan. 1, 2007; amended June 15, 2012, to take effect Jan. 1, 2013.)
Plain-English Summary
This section modifies the general rule in Section 17-14 for a specific category of case: actions to recover damages for personal injury or wrongful death, in tort or contract, where the plaintiff alleges the injury or death resulted from a health care provider’s negligence. In those cases, the plaintiff cannot file an offer of compromise until 365 days after service of process on the defendant — more than double the 180-day wait that applies elsewhere.
The section also sets a firm acceptance window: if the offer is not accepted within sixty days, and before a verdict or award is rendered, it is considered rejected and cannot be accepted afterward unless the plaintiff refiles it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the offer of compromise wait longer in medical negligence cases?
The rule text sets a longer filing wait of 365 days after service of process for actions alleging that a health care provider’s negligence caused personal injury or death, rather than the 180 days that applies to offers under Section 17-14.
How long does a defendant have to accept a plaintiff's offer in a medical negligence case?
Sixty days, and the offer must also still be pending before any verdict or award is rendered; after that it is considered rejected unless refiled.
Does this rule apply to contract claims against a health care provider?
Yes. It covers actions in tort or in contract alleging that personal injury or wrongful death resulted from a health care provider’s negligence.
Can a rejected offer under this section be revived?
Only by refiling it; once the sixty-day window passes without acceptance, the offer is not subject to acceptance unless the plaintiff files it again.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 17-14A). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: medical negligence offer of compromise CThealth care provider offer of compromise365 days offer of compromisemedical malpractice settlement offer Connecticutsixty day acceptance window offer of compromise