Rule 2:301 Presumptions in General in Civil Actions and Proceedings

When you are involved in a civil case, sometimes the law automatically assumes something is true based on certain facts. This is called a presumption. For example, if certain facts are proven, the court may presume something else is also true without requiring more proof.

If a presumption applies to your case, the other side must bring forward evidence to challenge or disprove it. However, this does not change who has to prove the main case. The person who was originally responsible for proving their case still carries that responsibility all the way through the trial.

Think of it this way: a presumption gives one side a head start, but it does not permanently shift the weight of the whole case onto the other person. The other side just has to respond to that specific assumption with their own evidence.