fight results in ligament damage to hand

What is the name of your state? VA
A friend of mine and his wife along with four other friends decided to go out a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night. They went to a bar in W.VA. They where having a good time dancing and talking and having a few beers, and two of the friends both guys where told they would haveto leave. I guess they had been informed the couldn't have an open container on the dance floor. The one guy got a little upset. Then my friend wanted to know why they where told to leave, and a bouncer grabbed him by the arm and ask another person ( not employed by the bar) to help remove him. They both grabbed him and forcefully shoved him outside. By this time two more man from inside the bar came out. My friend then got into a verbal battle with these men. One of them sprayed his wife in the face with pepper spray. She was yelling for them to let her husband go. He got into the one man's face and the other three got him on the ground and began to kick him in the ribs, he got up and someone sprayed him in the face with the pepper spray. He was swinging his arms asking for some water and his hand went through a window. No one would get them any water to wash thier eyes. One of the other couples helped them to their car, they drove down the road to a pay phone and called the police. My friends hand was bleeding severly, the police called for an ambulance. He was taken to a local hospital, and underwent surgery. He had five cut tendons in this hand. He's in school to become a professional chief. The nurses said they see alot of people in the E.R. from that bar. The police never charged my friends with anything, or did they charge anyone from the bar. And the police said they reaely have to respond to calls at that bar. My question is, since some of the men where not employees of the bar, can they be held accountable for any of the medical damages to my friend? Afterall, in his chosen career his hands will be key to his profession. It was his right hand, and he's right handed. While I feel they shouldn't of been there in the first place, they where, they are in their early 20's with no children, so I guess this is something they would do. Any advice I can pass on to them?

[spawn_x]

this whole story sounds a little fishy to me...

[racer72]

As soon as they failed with the request to leave the establishment, they were open game. They have no case.

Open game to what? They did leave the establishment, the altercation occured in the parking lot. And, it didn't involve the two friends of his, it was the four guys against him. Only one that they know of was an employee of the place. Does it give them the right to kick him in the ribs, and choke him. Pictures where taken of him in the hospital, his necklace left bruises on his neck, from where they where choking him. And he had severe bruising in his rib area. His wife wasn't touching anyone, just screaming for them to let her husband go. The were drinking, but none of them were legally drunk. They somehow think alot of it was due to the fact that they are from VA, and this happened in W.VA. I don't know about that, but you never know. And as I stated, I do not agree with the situation they put themselves in, but I think he was picked out of the group and roughed up for some reason. And, if what they have told me is the truth, I think someone used excessive force. NO? Now who knows if he'll be able to use his hand right ever again.