Anne Oldenburg and Eleni Gyparakis successfully defended a Chicago area dentist against an accusation that he deviated from the standard of care and caused an injury to a patient’s lingual nerve, resulting in permanent numbness, loss of taste, and pain. The plaintiff claimed that the dentist hit her tongue with the drill during a filling procedure. The doctor maintained that although the patient unexpectedly moved her head and that he was required to stop the procedure, there was no apparent injury at the time. At closing, plaintiff asked the jury to award $2.74 million. After a five-day trial, the jury took less than two hours to determine that the dentist had taken all appropriate precautions and had not deviated from the standard of care.

Oldenburg, a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, focuses her practice on the defense of healthcare professionals. She is rated an AV Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell and has received numerous honors and awards throughout her legal career. She publishes and lectures extensively on issues relating to healthcare litigation and risk management issues.

Gyparakis, an associate in the firm’s Chicago office, focuses her practice on the defense of medical, dental, and long-term care litigation claims. Prior to joining HeplerBroom, Gyparakis also gained experience defending personal injury claims, employment liability matters, and general appellate practice. She was the 2024 recipient of the Chicagoland Healthcare Risk Management Society’s Board of Directors Rookie of the Year.