Legal Definitions - Pennsylvania rule

The Pennsylvania rule is a principle in tort law that states that if a person violates a statute while causing an injury, they have the burden of proving that the violation did not cause the injury.

For example, if a driver runs a red light and hits a pedestrian, the driver is in violation of a traffic statute. Under the Pennsylvania rule, the driver would have to prove that their violation of the statute did not cause the pedestrian's injuries.

The Pennsylvania rule was established in the case of The Pennsylvania, which was a U.S. Supreme Court case in 1874. The case involved a collision between two ships, and the court ruled that the ship that violated a navigation statute had the burden of proving that the violation did not cause the collision.