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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:
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Medical Malpractice – Breaking down patient rights, hospital responsibilities, and the realities of pursuing claims against healthcare providers.
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Sexual Abuse – Covering legal developments, survivor resources, and our fight to hold institutions accountable.
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Vehicle Accidents – Offering guidance on navigating insurance, liability, and recovery after serious crashes.
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Personal Injury – Helping victims understand their options for compensation when negligence causes harm.
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Product Liability – Shedding light on unsafe products and the corporations that must be held responsible.
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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
Boyfriend of Woman Killed by Falling Stone Claims Negligence, Sues Church
It has been reported a lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court this month by Lance Johnson, the boyfriend of the woman who was hit by a falling church stone, an incident which resulted in her death. Johnson was walking with the victim, Sarah Bean, when part of a stone gargoyle fell from the church, hitting her in the head. Johnson is suing both the Second Presbyterian Church, a Chicago South Loop church, and the Presbytery of Chicago. Claims of the lawsuit state that
Sep 22, 20142 min read
Proposed Illinois Law Allows Video Monitoring in Nursing Homes
It is a sad and unfortunate fact that the most vulnerable members of our society are also the most susceptible to abuse, neglect, and negligence. But just how prevalent is elder abuse, neglect, and negligence? How many of them result in wrongful death or personal injury cases? And just how often are those cases tied to the long-term care facilities entrusted with the care of someone's beloved family member? National Study Reveals Alarming Information on Nursing Home Abuse an
Sep 15, 20143 min read
More Documents Released Detailing Sex Abuse Allegations in Joliet Diocese
JOLIET PATCH A year after the Diocese of Joliet released a list of priests who were credibly accused of sexually abusing children, more documents detailing abuse allegations are coming to light. As part of a legal settlement, the Catholic Diocese of Joliet last year began releasing internal documents related to the accused priest — including files that show that for decades, bishops had been aware of the sexual abuse accusations. More than 7,000 documents were to be released
Apr 30, 20142 min read
Alleged Victim of Priest Abuse Breaks 40 Years of Silence
WGN TV/Chicago Tribune A new lawsuit is filed Thursday against the Chicago Archdiocese, on behalf of three people who say they were sexually abused as children by a now-defrocked priest. The lawsuit comes in the wake of this week’s release of documents involving 30 accused priests. One of the alleged victims say this week’s events made him angry and compelled him to talk after suffering for 40 years, abusing drugs, alcohol and depression. He hasn’t been back in a Catholic chu
Jan 23, 20141 min read
Lawsuit Against Archdiocese of Chicago Alleges Sexual Abuse by Father Norbert Maday Against Three Victims
ENHANCED NEWS ONLINE Three plaintiffs filed suit today against the Archdiocese of Chicago and one of its former priests, Norbert Maday, for incidents of sexual abuse which took place when Maday was assigned to St. Leo Catholic Church in Chicago, and later, to St. Louis de Montfort Catholic Church in Oak Lawn. The suit also names convicted pedophile Thomas Hacker, who while working at St. Louis de Montfort Parish in Oak Lawn at the same time as Maday, also sexually assaulted t
Jan 23, 20143 min read
It Just Keeps Coming
The institutions that downplayed the crisis--that denied knowing about sexual predators in their midst, that protected the abusers and covered up for them so they could hurt more and more children--just keep admitting to more. Today it was the Archdiocese of Chicago. After years of denial, the Archdiocese has released thousands of pages of internal church documents showing how it concealed sexual abuse for decades, moving priests to new parishes where they molested again. But
Jan 20, 20141 min read
Just a Routine Operation
I just came across this amazing story . A man in Britain whose wife died during routine surgery is trying to help the medical field learn from the tragedy. And it all stems from a failed airway situation very much like we saw in our last verdict for the Tagalos family. As a pilot, Martin Bromiley has been taught safety procedures and communication methods to help address the "human factors" that cause 75% of airplane accidents. But he doesn't see the medical profession reco
Jan 19, 20141 min read
Lawyer Represents Chicagoans Injured By Medical Devices
Medical devices, machines, and other products injure and kill thousands each year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintains a list of recalled medical devices. In addition to those products on this list, though, there are many different products that are dangerous or worn-out that kill and injure people in healthcare settings. The experienced attorneys at Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. have represented numerous clients who were injured or killed by medical devices. Ofte
Jan 18, 20141 min read
Penn State Abuse Scandal Shows that Institutions Can't Police Themselves
The Penn State sexual abuse scandal reminds us that state and federal laws may mandate that a teacher or coach, such as Coach Paterno and the assitant coaches and administrators at Penn State, has a duty to report suspected sexual abuse of children to the police. As discussed in a recent Chicago Tribune article: Illinois law features a long list of people who must notify the Department of Children and Family Services if they suspect that a child has been abused or neglected,
Jan 1, 20141 min read
Penn State Abuse Scandal Shows that Institutions Can't Police Themselves
The Penn State sexual abuse scandal reminds us that state and federal laws may mandate that a teacher or coach, such as Coach Paterno and the assistant coaches and administrators at Penn State, has a duty to report suspected sexual abuse of children to the police. As discussed in a recent Chicago Tribune article: Illinois law features a long list of people who must notify the Department of Children and Family Services if they suspect that a child has been abused or neglected
Jan 1, 20141 min read
Jury Awards $4,700,000 for Death in Emergency Room
CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN, DECEMBER 4, 2013 A Chicago jury has awarded $4.7 million to the family of a 49 year old woman who died at St. James Hospital in suburban Chicago after she suffered a severe asthma attack. The case alleged emergency room errors and wrongful death in a 2 week-long medical malpractice trial. The patient arrived in the emergency room in respiratory distress which is an emergency condition requiring immediate treatment. It took emergency room doctors m
Dec 12, 20131 min read
HM&M Wins $4.7 Million Verdict Against St. James Hospital and ER Doctor
Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. has won a $4.7 million verdict against St. James Hospital of Olympia Fields and one of its emergency department physicians on behalf of a 49 year-old woman, Georgia Tagalos, who suffered brain death in the hospital's emergency department in 2006. At trial, Christopher T. Hurley and Mark R. McKenna established that it took at least seven minutes for Mrs. Tagalos to be seen by an emergency department physician at St. James after she arrived graspin
Dec 3, 20131 min read
HM&M Files Suit Against Stryker Corporation on Behalf of 7 Clients
Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. recently filed lawsuits in federal court on behalf of seven individuals who received defective Stryker hip implants . In July 2012, Stryker issued a voluntary worldwide recall of its Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implants. Studies have shown that these implants corrode over time, which causes bits of metal to leak into patients' bodies, leading to major health complications. One of the most common health problems associated with the Stryker Rejuvenat
Oct 19, 20131 min read
HM&M Files Suit On Behalf Of Inspirational Client
NBC TV interviews Chris Hurley and Mark Stephan about Stryker Defective Hip Lawsuit from Christopher Hurley on Vimeo . In 2007, Mark Stephan suffered catastrophic injuries when his front wheel unexpectedly disengaged from his bicycle. This crash paralyzed Mark from the neck down. Since then, Mark has refused to let this horrific injury hold him back. Mark has continuously shattered all expectations, achieving such feats as climbing 103 floors to the top of the Willis Tower
Sep 10, 20131 min read
FOX 32 TV News: Christopher Hurley Questions Convicted Pedophile Thomas Hacker in Prison
Fox 32 reports on attorney Chris Hurley’s interrogation of predator Thomas Hacker, exposing grooming tactics and systemic failures.
Aug 19, 20131 min read
New Lawsuit Details Extensive Sexual Abuse Against Local Scouts
OAK LAWN PATCH Lawsuit claims Archdiocese was negligent in protecting children at St. Louis de Montfort from two convicted pedophiles, Fr. Maday and scout leader Tom Hacker in early 1970s. [ . . . . ] Included in the complaint are shocking allegations of Maday and Hacker’s association and shared proclivity as sexual predators of young boys in what has been detailed as a "tag team of abuse" at St. Louis de Montfort in the late 1960s and early 1970s. While being sexually assaul
Aug 12, 20131 min read
ABC-7 TV News Interviews Christopher Hurley Regarding Boy Scouts Sex Abuse Lawsuits
ABC 7 reports on Chris Hurley’s efforts to expose how the Boy Scouts enabled Thomas Hacker and how systemic failures allowed abuse to continue.
Aug 7, 20131 min read
15 Ex-Boy Scouts Sue Scouting Organization
Survivors and attorneys detail how Boy Scouts ignored warnings about Thomas Hacker, allowing decades of abuse across multiple councils.
Aug 7, 20131 min read
Ex-Boy Scouts File Suit After Abuse By Prolific Molester
Former Boy Scouts file suit after abuse by a prolific molester, aiming to hold those responsible for failing to protect them.
Aug 7, 20131 min read
Boy Scouts Sued By 15 Former Suburban Men
DAILY HERALD Fifteen former Boy Scouts from the suburb of Burbank filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that the organization failed to protect them from a scout leader who was later convicted of molestation. The lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court names the Boy Scouts of America and the group's Chicago Area Council. It was filed by unnamed men — all referred to as "John Doe" — who were members of the same troop from 1980 until 1987. A 16th former scout sued late last yea
Aug 7, 20131 min read
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