What Does Parental Liability Mean in Connecticut?

 Posted on February 07, 2014 in Parental Liability

If your child is convicted in a case where another person suffered bodily injury or property damage, you could be held liable for the financial losses that occurred as a result of this incident. These cases can be complex, and if you want to be sure that your rights are protected, as a parent you should hire a Stamford criminal attorney sooner rather than later to discuss your case.

Connecticut law has provisions that allow for parental financial liability as a result of willful criminal acts of children. Parents could be held financially responsible for up to $5,000 in losses. The parental liability statute tends to be on the other party’s side in a case like this, since it’s often not necessary to provide proof that the parent was negligent. A criminal conviction involving the child where losses occurred is generally enough to provide the grounds for a parental liability case.

Parental liability can be brought into cases where parents were aware of a “dangerous tendency” within the child. For example, the parents of a child who had previously expressed an interest in fire or damaged property in the home as a result of fire could be held liable for damages and injuries that resulted from an incident with fire elsewhere. If a child damages (willfully and maliciously) property or takes a motor vehicle without the permission of the owner and damages it, a parent can be held severally and jointly liable in the case and have to pay financial losses to the other party.

If you child has been accused of property damage or bodily injury, you need to speak with an attorney experienced in juvenile law but you also need someone who understands Connecticut’s parental liability statutes. You should take your child’s case and your own case seriously and reach out to a Stamford criminal lawyer sooner rather than later.