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

Study Deems Chicago Eighth-Worst for City Drivers

There are only a handful of options when it comes to transportation in the city: public transit, carpooling, walking, or driving. For those that must drive in Chicago, Illinois, it probably does not come as a surprise to hear that the roads they are navigating happen to be the eighth-worst for drivers; the reasons why might be. Chicago's Driver Ranking: The Good, Bad, and Surprising Out of all the cities in the United States, Chicago ranked as one of the worst ten cities f

Aug 7, 20152 min read

Chrysler Recalls More than 11 Million Defective Vehicles

In the midst of the Takata airbag recalls , which now includes more than 30 million vehicles, Chrysler has announced a recall on more than 11 million defective vehicles; only this one has nothing to do with Takata. In fact, this recall has nothing to do with airbags at all. It does pose a safety hazard to Chrysler owners, however, and the public deserves to know the truth. Formal Recall Started with Software Issues Recalls initially started after a published a story on Chry

Jul 31, 20152 min read

ProPublica Finds Disturbing Information while Analyzing Complication Rates of 17,000 Surgeons

Since the 1999 publication of "To Err is Human," a landmark report from the Institute of Medicine on the number of medical errors in the United States, patient safety has been at the forefront of healthcare discussions. Unfortunately, little has changed since then; a recent study from ProPublica has provided a closer (and highly disturbing) look. ProPublica Reveals Disparity in Patient Care Among Surgeons Medical malpractice studies are not a new concept, but ProPublica to

Jul 29, 20153 min read

Asbestos Risk Is Still Present: Study Finds Asbestos in Children’s Crayons

The public has feared asbestos for quite some time, and for good reason. It has been linked to a number of serious conditions, and it is thought to kill up to 15,000 Americans every year. Yet this carcinogen was recently found in crayons and other items marketed to children. The Truth About Asbestos Most people assume that asbestos has been banned and that it is a problem of the past. Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth; asbestos can be found in products

Jul 28, 20152 min read

Amusement Parks: Family Fun or Fun Park Liability?

For most, summer fun means the lake, the pool, zoos, and amusement parks. Each of these locales have their own set of risks, but when it comes to injuries and accidents, amusement parks seem to garner the most attention. So is the thrill really worth the risk? Or are fun parks just a huge liability ? Amusement Park Injury and Accident Rates Few studies have examined the injury rates at amusement parks in depth. Those that have determined that: An estimated 300 million peopl

Jul 26, 20152 min read

Push for Economic Reform Could Make Corporate Lawsuits More Difficult

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner wants to advance his radical political agenda by making it more difficult for victims of negligence and medical malpractice to obtain fair and just compensation for their injuries. Governor Rauner and his friends—big businesses and insurance companies— falsely claim that there is a "lawsuit crisis" in Illinois . However, the fact is that lawsuit filings in Illinois have dropped 26 percent since 2007. Governor Rauner's proposed changes to the t

Jul 24, 20152 min read

Dodge Challenger Added to Growing List of Takata Airbag Recalls

Dodge Challengers have recently been added to the ever-growing list of Takata airbag recalls . Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) says that the Challengers were "inadvertently excluded" from the original recall list submitted to the NHTSA. The FCA also stated it was not until an audit on July 6 that they realized the 88,346 Dodge Challengers , manufactured between September 2007 and October 2010, had Takata airbags. The Japanese-manufactured airbags contain a propellant that ca

Jul 14, 20152 min read

Hurley McKenna & Mertz Partner Starts No Free Passes Initiative

Hurley McKenna & Mertz, managing partner, Attorney Chris Hurley, founded the No Free Passes Initiative after representing a family who lost the mother. He realized she could have been saved if the emergency room staff had more training on intubating patients. Multiple attempts at intubation is not acceptable. The more times a doctor and their team need to attempt an intubation, the more likely the patient is to have complications. Attorney Chris Hurley has been a trial law

May 21, 20152 min read

FDA Issues Class II Recall of Zimmer Knee Implant

Zimmer voluntarily started recalling their Persona Trabecular Metal Tibial Plate knee replacement system in March. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Class II recall for all makes and sizes. Companies are responsible for providing product liability for any product they produce and sell. The FDA Class II Recalls are an intermediate level of concern. There is no immediate danger of death or serious injury, but there is still a possibility if the product's use is

May 19, 20152 min read

Black & Decker Fined Again for Delayed Reporting of Safety Hazards

When companies receive reports and supporting evidence of safety hazards for a product they produce, they have a 24-hour window in which they are supposed to report it to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Not doing so can cause other consumers using the product to injure themselves due to the defect. Black & Decker did not comply with the requirement to report the safety defect for allegedly 11 years. They have a responsibility to consumers to report safety defe

May 5, 20152 min read

Zofran Use May Be Linked to Birth Defects

Parents want their infants and children to be healthy and thrive. It can be a devastating blow when they find out their child may or will have a life-long condition that may be life-threatening. Congenital heart defects are heart problems that develop before the child is born and are often referred to as a hole in the heart. Congenital heart defects can lead to heart failure, high blood pressure, infection, or other problems from the moment they are born or later on in life.

Apr 30, 20152 min read

Injuries Lead Harley-Davidson to Recall Thousands of Motorcycles

Many motorcyclists ride their motorcycles all year, while some only ride during the months of good weather. No matter when they rider take out their motorcycles, they want to know their motorcycle is safe to ride. A recent recall of some Harley-Davidson motorcycles puts some owners at risk. Motorcycle manufacturers have a responsibility to motorcycle owners affected by the recall to ensure the defective motorcycle part gets replaced or fixed so the owner is not in an acciden

Apr 28, 20152 min read

Why Did the Joliet Diocese Allow Child Abusers to be Ordained?

Over the span of 20 years, priests ordained by the Joliet Diocese allegedly abused many boys involved in church programs from the 1960s through 1980s. The Joliet Diocese knew about priests abusing children well before they did anything to protect children and remove pedophile priests from parished in the Diocese of Joliet. How did these priests become ordained and allowed to be around children if the diocese knew about sexual abuse by these priests? Sexual abuse by anyone is

Apr 27, 20152 min read

How Does a Vehicle Get Recalled?

Eight deaths and over 100 injuries have been linked to defective Takata airbags . As a result, more than 30 million vehicles from 10 different manufacturers have been recalled. Consumer Report recently released an exhaustive list of those vehicles, as well as some tips for those affected. Which Vehicles are Being Recalled and Why? Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda , Honda, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and BMW all have models on the Takata airbag recall list. Mos

Apr 23, 20152 min read

Graco Fined $10 Million Due to Car Seat Recall

In the largest car seat recall in U.S. history, Graco is being fined for not disclosing defects in over six million car seats. Defects in children's car seats are a safety hazard and a product liability. Parents put their confidence in the car seat manufacturers to ensure that the car seats are safe and reliable. Knowing about a defect and not alerting consumers in a timely manner is a product liability and the manufacturer should be held responsible. The National Highway T

Apr 14, 20152 min read

Over 40 Thousand BMW Motorcycles Being Recalled

Many motorcyclists are passionate, not only about the type of motorcycle they ride, but also about their safety. What happens when motorcyclists' safety are put in jeopardy by the company who produced their bike because of a defective part? The motorcycle manufacturer who produced the parts is responsible for product liability if there is a defective part. Motorcyclists should not have to be concerned about having their motorcycle breaking while they are riding due to a part

Apr 2, 20152 min read

FDA Refuses to Pull Endoscopy Devices Linked to CRE Superbug

In the last several months, two hospitals in California have reported outbreaks of what officials are referring to as the CRE superbug. At Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, two patients died after being infected and five others continue to receive treatment. Medical officials have reached out to nearly 180 additional patients who may have been exposed at the facility. The outbreak has been traced to a particular medical device , which federal regulators are, s

Mar 12, 20153 min read

Distracted Driving and Commercial Vehicle Drivers

Distracted driving is becoming one of the most cited causes for motor vehicle accidents in the United States with the increased use of cellphones while driving. More than nine people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured each day in accidents caused by distracted driving. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates all drivers involved in interstate commerce or intrastate transportation of hazardous materials and inter- and intrastate Commer

Mar 10, 20152 min read

Why are Takata Airbags Still on the Road?

The Takata airbag recall has not gotten better in the months since it started. More vehicles have been added to the recall list and more deaths have been linked to defective Takata airbags . A national recall started in November 2014, but Takata is just now apologizing for the deaths and injuries their defective airbags have caused. Is their apology too late for some consumers and automotive companies though? An apology and deep bow from Takata's chief executive, Shigehisa

Mar 8, 20152 min read

Takata Fined $14,000 Daily for Faulty Airbags

The United States is fining Takata Corporation, a Tokyo, Japan-based company that manufactures airbags, $14,000 each day due to non-compliance in the investigation into their faulty airbags. Late last year, the National Highway Traffic-Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a product recall on vehicles using Takata airbags . The company is responsible for covering product liability to consumers affected by the recall. With over 7.8 million vehicles affected by the recall,

Mar 6, 20152 min read