A Tennessee man suing a hospital system now has a path forward to recover damages for injuries stemming from an alleged medical malpractice during his five-month period of extended treatment, while any wrongdoing during his initial treatment for a severe head wound was barred by the statute of limitations.

Plaintiff James Vandergriff was seen by Dr. Prayash Patel at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga in March 2020, after allegedly being assaulted with a baseball bat. He was diagnosed with skull and facial fractures that required surgery, and he was later discharged after two weeks, according to a Tennessee Court of Appeals opinion filed late last month.