Steward v. Crissell

This case turns on the admissibility of a toxicology report. James Steward died when his car hit a trailer. Rosie Steward, as special administrator of James Steward’s estate, sued the trailer’s owner and driver for negligence. The trial court admitted into evidence at trial the medical examiner’s toxicology report, which showed an alcohol concentration of .162 in Steward’s blood. Plaintiff appeals from judgment entered on the jury’s verdict for defendants. We, too, find the report admissible under section 115 — 5.1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 (725 ILCS 5/115—5.1 (West 1994)),…