Girolametti v. City of Danbury (Connecticut Appellate Court Affirms $16.8M Reckless-Permitting Verdict)
The Connecticut Appellate Court, in Girolametti v. Larrabee, 238 Conn. App. 1 (2026), largely affirmed a $16.8 million jury verdict against the City of Danbury and a city building official, finding they acted with reckless disregard for public health and safety in the permitting, construction, and inspection of a 30,000-square-foot commercial addition to the Party Depot retail business. The court ordered a $280,000 remittitur for amounts already recovered from a settling party, but left the recklessness finding and the balance of the award intact; Danbury has said it intends to seek review by the Connecticut Supreme Court.
Why it matters
The decision confirms that a municipality's discretionary-function immunity for building permitting and inspection decisions does not protect conduct a jury finds reckless, exposing cities to substantial damages exposure when a permitting process for a commercial project goes badly wrong. Commercial owners in protracted disputes with a local building department should take note of how much documentation and litigation it took to sustain this result on appeal.
Case timeline · 3 entries Latest: March 17, 2026 — Connecticut Appellate Court affirms the verdict, ordering only a $280,000 remittitur
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