A defendant is not confined to denials of the allegations of the complaint or petition, but is entitled to set out new matter in defense or as a basis for affirmative relief. In a suit in which plaintiff alleges that defendant has been negligent, contributory negligence by the plaintiff is sometimes a defense which a defendant can raise.
This form is a generic example of an answer and affirmative defense that may be referred to when preparing such a pleading for your particular state.
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An affirmative defense is a defense that brings up new facts or issues not in the Complaint that, if true, would be a legal reason why the plaintiff should not win, or should win less than they're asking for. It is not a denial that you did what the plaintiff says you did.
Asserting an Affirmative Defense: An Example First, find the elements of the defense you want to assert. Statutes and appellate cases are good resources for this. Then, state any facts in your own case that make up the elements of that defense.
In the vast majority of cases, the defendant/respondent bears the burden of proof regarding the claimed affirmative defense.
In a criminal trial, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. The prosecution must convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of the charges brought against them.
Examples of affirmative defenses include: Contributory negligence, which reduces a defendant's civil liability when the plaintiff's own negligence contributed to the plaintiff's injury.
In civil cases, the party bringing the action must prove their case on a balance of probabilities. This means that at the evidence presented must convince the Judge and/or Jury that it is 50% or more likely that the case you are presenting is true and correct.
(the Constitution permits a legislature to place the burden on the accused to establish an affirmative defense, even if the evidence necessary to prove the defense also may raise a reasonable doubt about an element of the offense; if such evidence is presented, the judge must ensure that the factfinder is instructed to ...
To establish a contributory negligence defense, the defendant must prove that a reasonably prudent person, in the circumstances, would have taken certain precautions, and plaintiff's failure to do this contributed directly to the plaintiff's injury.
