Rule 11-301 Presumptions in civil cases generally.

When one side benefits from a legal presumption in a civil case, the other side has to bring in some evidence to challenge it. For example, if the law presumes something is true unless proven otherwise, the person on the losing end of that presumption cannot just ignore it. They need to actually offer proof that pushes back against it.

However, this does not mean the overall burden of proof switches sides. The person who originally had to prove their case still has to prove it in the end. The presumption just means the other side has to respond with some evidence, not that they take over the job of proving the whole case.

This matters because it affects strategy in a trial. If you are facing a presumption, you cannot stay silent and hope the judge or jury ignores it. You have to put forward real evidence to counter it, or the presumption stands. But even after you do that, the other side still carries the main responsibility of convincing the judge or jury that their case is true.