Connecticut General Statutes Title 52. Civil Actions § 52-577a. Limitation of action based on product liability claim

(a) No product liability claim, as defined in section 52-572m, shall be brought but within three years from the date when the injury, death or property damage is first sustained or discovered or in the exercise of reasonable care should have been discovered, except that, subject to the provisions of subsections (c), (d) and (e) of this section, no such action may be brought against any party nor may any party be impleaded pursuant to subsection (b) of this section later than ten years from the date that the party last parted with possession or control of the product.

(b) In any such action, a product seller may implead any third party who is or may be liable for all or part of the claimant's claim, if such third party defendant is served with the third party complaint within one year from the date the cause of action brought under subsection (a) of this section is returned to court.

(c) The ten-year limitation provided for in subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to any product liability claim brought by a claimant who can prove that the harm occurred during the useful safe life of the product.  In determining whether a product's useful safe life has expired, the trier of fact may consider among other factors:  (1) The effect on the product of wear and tear or deterioration from natural causes;  (2) the effect of climatic and other local conditions in which the product was used;  (3) the policy of the user and similar users as to repairs, renewals and replacements;  (4) representations, instructions and warnings made by the product seller about the useful safe life of the product;  and (5) any modification or alteration of the product by a user or third party.

(d) The ten-year limitation provided for in subsection (a) of this section shall be extended pursuant to the terms of any express written warranty that the product can be used for a period longer than ten years, and shall not preclude any action against a product seller who intentionally misrepresents a product or fraudulently conceals information about it, provided the misrepresentation or fraudulent concealment was the proximate cause of harm of the claimant.

(e) The ten-year limitation provided for in subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to any product liability claim, whenever brought, involving injury, death or property damage caused by contact with or exposure to asbestos, except that (1) no such action for personal injury or death may be brought by the claimant later than eighty years from the date that the claimant last had contact with or exposure to asbestos, and (2) no such action for damage to property may be brought by the claimant later than thirty years from the date of last contact with or exposure to asbestos.

(f) The definitions contained in section 52-572m shall apply to this section.

(g) The provisions of this section shall apply to all product liability claims brought on or after October 1, 1979.