Adesokan v. Bloomfield

Citations

• 347 Conn. 416

Syllabus

Pursuant to statute (§ 52-557n (a) (2) (B)) and the common law of this state, respectively, municipalities and their employees enjoy qualified immunity from liability, for their negligent acts or omissions in the performance of duties that require the exercise of judgment or discre- tion, ''[e]xcept as otherwise provided by law . . . .'' Pursuant further to statute (§ 14-283 (d)), the privileges afforded to the operator of an emergency vehicle by § 14-283 (b), which include the right to disregard certain traffic laws, signals, and signs under certain conditions, ''shall not relieve the operator of [the] emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and property.'' The plaintiff, individually and on behalf of her two minor children, sought to recover damages from the defendants, the town of Bloomfield, its police department, and one of its police officers, J, in connection with injuries the plaintiff and her children sustained when the vehicle in which they were travelling was struck by J's police cruiser. At the time of the collision, J was responding to a report of a possible abduction This case originally was scheduled to be argued before a panel of this court consisting of Chief Justice Robinson and Justices McDonald, D'Auria, Mullins, Ecker and Alexander. Although Justice McDonald was not present at oral argument, he has read the briefs and appendices, and listened to a recording of the oral argument prior to participating in this decision. 347 Conn. 416 AUGUST, 2023 417 Adesokan v. Bloomfield and travelling in the southbound lane of traffic several vehicles behind the plaintiff's vehicle. The plaintiff arrived at an intersection and made a lefthand turn, but J, while traveling at a speed exceeding seventy miles per hour, moved into the northbound lane, attempted to pass, and collided with the plaintiff's vehicle. The plaintiff raised claims of negligence, negligent supervision, and respondeat superior, and the defendants