White v. FCW Law Offices

Citations

• 228 Conn. App. 1

Syllabus

The plaintiff appealed from the judgment of the trial court rendered in his favor, following a hearing in damages in connection with his action seeking damages for identity theft pursuant to statute (§ 52-571h) and for a violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (§ 42-110a et seq.). The plaintiff claimed that the trial court improperly failed to award him treble damages in light of mandatory language in § 52-571h (b) following the default judgment rendered against the defendants. Held: The plaintiff was entitled to an award of treble damages under § 52-571h, but he was not entitled to recover those damages in addition to the damages that the trial court awarded under CUTPA. The trial court's award of damages under CUTPA was vacated, as that award was based on the same transaction, occurrence or event on which the plaintiff based his action for damages resulting from identity theft under § 52-571h, and, thus, that award violated the principle that the plaintiff is entitled to recover only once for the losses he sustained. Argued April 10—officially released September 17, 2024