Blog

With more than 35 years of experience, the team at Hurley McKenna & Mertz has built a reputation for tackling some of the country’s most complex and emotionally challenging legal cases. Our attorneys and staff have worked together for decades, guided by trust, respect, and a shared commitment to the truth.

The HM&M Blog is where we share insights, resources, and updates across our core practice areas:

Medical Malpractice – Breaking down patient rights, hospital responsibilities, and the realities of pursuing claims against healthcare providers.
Sexual Abuse – Covering legal developments, survivor resources, and our fight to hold institutions accountable.
Vehicle Accidents – Offering guidance on navigating insurance, liability, and recovery after serious crashes.
Personal Injury – Helping victims understand their options for compensation when negligence causes harm.
Product Liability – Shedding light on unsafe products and the corporations that must be held responsible.
Nursing Home Abuse – Advocating for the safety and dignity of vulnerable elders facing neglect or mistreatment.

Through this blog, we aim to make the law more accessible, highlight important case updates, and provide information that empowers victims and families to take the next step toward justice.

All Posts

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Injured in a car accident? Our attorneys handle complex cases nationwide, securing justice and compensation for victims.

Feb 13, 20203 min read

Defective Drugs

Before releasing their products to the market, drug companies are supposed to undergo exhaustive testing and prove that their drugs are safe and effective. But with the influx of an increasing number of prescription drugs and medications in recent years, the FDA approval process has been shown to not always be reliable. Many drugs have been released to the public and deemed “safe”, only to be later recalled by the drug manufacturer or the FDA. The problem is that while they w

Feb 13, 20203 min read

Medication Error Injury

Today, there are more prescription drugs available than ever before. These drugs can be quite powerful, and there is no doubt that many of them save (and prolong) lives. By the same token, many prescription drugs also contain harmful side effects (including death) when prescribed or given out improperly. According to a study by the Institute of Medicine, at least one and a half million preventable medication errors happen in the U.S. each year. The study went on to say that “

Feb 13, 20202 min read

Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury

Cerebral palsy is a mostly preventable condition that occurs in roughly one out of every 300 children. It can result from a brain injury or damage to the central nervous system either in utero, during labor/delivery or shortly after the birth of a child. Cerebral palsy is actually a series of disorders that affect the brain and nervous system, leading to movement problems for those affected. The condition is permanent, and its level of severity will vary depending on each ind

Feb 13, 20203 min read

Erb's Palsy

Erb's palsy is a birth injury to the upper brachial plexus that affects the shoulders and arms. The brachial plexus is a series of nerves running through the neck that controls the functions in the shoulders, arms and hands. Injuries to these nerves can inhibit the child's ability to control movements in the affected areas, leading to full or partial paralysis. Erb's palsy is typically caused by a rupture, stretch or tear of the shoulder during the delivery of the child. This

Feb 13, 20203 min read

Brachial Plexus Birth Injury

Brachial Plexus injuries occur during childbirth and are the result of a condition known as shoulder dystocia. Damage to the upper plexus can cause brachial plexus palsy (also known as Erb’s palsy). Damage to the lower plexus can cause a condition known as Klumpke’s palsy. Brachial plexus birth injuries are often the result of negligence and medical malpractice. However, these cases can be very challenging to pursue because of the time that may have elapsed, and all the compl

Feb 13, 20203 min read

Wrongful Death

Wrongful death cases arise whenever wrongful conduct causes a person’s death. The Illinois Wrongful Death Act exists to compensate the family of the deceased person for their “loss of society” or their lost relationship with the deceased person. The Wrongful Death Act also allows families to recover the income and other benefits the deceased person would have contributed to the family. The Chicago wrongful death lawyers of Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. have obtained record-se

Feb 13, 20202 min read

Wrongful Birth

Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. is the leading law firm in Chicago in the area of wrongful birth. We not only have extensive experience representing families of all sorts injured by medical malpractice related to genetic testing and counseling, we have also helped change the law--successfully arguing to the Illinois Supreme Court that it recognize for the first time the right of parents to recover for the emotional distress caused by this devastating form of malpractice. To see

Feb 13, 20202 min read

Operating Room Mistake

Operating room error cases include obvious examples of medical malpractice, such as when surgeons leave sponges or surgical instruments inside their patients. Operating room error cases also include situations when surgeons and nurses perform surgery on the wrong body part, or injure other parts of the body, including the spinal cord, blood vessels, and nerves. Other examples of operating room mistakes include anesthesia errors which cause brain damage or other injuries, medi

Feb 13, 20202 min read

Kidney Damage From Gentamicin

Gentamicin sulfate is a powerful antibiotic delivered intravenously to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and home healthcare settings to combat severe infections. Gentamicin is an effective treatment, but only when properly administered and monitored by a medical professional. Extended use, high dosages or improper prescription of other drugs in combination with gentamicin can result in serious and permanent personal injury. For gentamicin to be used safely, health care

Feb 10, 20206 min read

Failure To Diagnose Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, over 1.6 million patients are diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year. Cancer is a very aggressive condition that tends to spread quickly, making its survival largely dependent on early detection and effective treatment in hopes of stopping and reversing its spread. Unfortunately, far too many cancer deaths result from a misdiagnosis or a failure to diagnose the disease until it is too late. Because early detection can me

Feb 10, 20202 min read

Errors in Diagnosis

Errors in diagnosis by doctors and nurses are a very common type of medical malpractice. In fact, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, over half of all medical malpractice claims are due to delays or errors in diagnosis. These errors can occur not only in hospitals but also in doctor’s offices and nursing homes. The result of a diagnostic error means the patient receives the wrong treatment and/or has a negative reaction to certain medications. W

Feb 10, 20203 min read

Emergency Room Errors

Errors in the emergency room can occur from the moment the patient arrives at the hospital. For example, when hospitals do not recognize an emergency situation and let a patient wait too long before a doctor's evaluation, tragedies can occur. Emergency room errors also occur when ER doctors fail to order necessary tests, consult with appropriate specialists, or fail to perform life-saving procedures. These cases can be challenging to litigate and require the expertise of expe

Feb 10, 20202 min read

Birth Injuries

Birth injury cases can be the most legally challenging type of medical malpractice case. If your child has suffered an injury during childbirth, you absolutely need highly experienced Chicago birth injury attorneys with a track record of real and demonstrable success in court. The medical expenses for families following a traumatic birth injury will be very high for several years, so it is important to hold the responsible parties accountable so you can receive the damages yo

Feb 10, 20204 min read

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice cases are extremely complex. If you have been the victim of malpractice, you need trial lawyers who are up to the challenge. You need a trial team with a proven record of success in medical malpractice cases. There is too much at stake. At HM&M, our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers are devoted to representing the victims of malpractice, as well as increasing awareness of the harm caused by medical malpractice. We fight for stronger laws for injured peop

Feb 10, 20203 min read

Anesthesia Errors

Each year, over 40 million patients in North America receive anesthesia. Most of the time, it is administered during surgery to put the patient in an unconscious or semi-conscious state through the use of certain drugs, medications, and/or gasses. Immense responsibility falls on the shoulders of the anesthesiologist to ensure that the patient has the correct dosage and to monitor the patient’s vital signs and level of oxygenation. In addition, when/if the anesthesiologist det

Feb 6, 20203 min read

BSA Town Hall February 11, 2021

Update on BSA bankruptcy: HMM shares TCC efforts, insurance talks, and details on the Feb. 11, 2021 Town Hall.

Feb 5, 20202 min read

Do You Have Cancer After Working With Roundup?

Juries across the United States have found that RoundUp, a herbicide and weed killer manufactured by Monsanto, causes cancer. RoundUp is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, and many farmers, landscapers, nursery workers, and gardeners have used this weed killer. However, people exposed to Roundup, whose active ingredient is glyphosate, have been diagnosed with the following rare and deadly types of cancers: - Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - Chronic Lymphocytic Leu

Feb 4, 20201 min read

Ladder and Scaffolding Accidents

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), about 2.3 million construction workers in the United States regularly work on scaffolds. In major cities like Chicago, thousands of construction workers, painters, window washers, and laborers climb up on and work off ladders and scaffolds every day. An estimated 4,500 construction worker injuries occur yearly, and nearly 500 deaths alone result from ladders, scaffolding or falling objects or equipment. If

Feb 1, 20203 min read

Explosion Injuries

Explosives can be extremely dangerous. In a heartbeat, an explosion or blast can turn an individual’s world upside down -- causing catastrophic personal injuries, death, and destruction of life, limb and property, not to mention loss of livelihood. If you have been injured or someone you love has been injured or killed in an explosion accident, you should seek the counsel of an experienced Chicago explosions attorney with the expertise and resources to pursue just compensatio

Feb 1, 20203 min read