Estate of Dillon County man killed in 2022 fall from bucket truck sues, claims hydraulic failure to blame
DILLON COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — An incorrectly installed piece of hydraulic equipment led to the 2022 death of a tree service worker in Dillon County, according to a newly filed lawsuit by the man’s estate.
Jonathan “Bradley” Powell, 49, tumbled to the ground in a bucket truck on Aug. 11 after a hydraulic cylinder “catastrophically failed” following its recent installation, according to details in a wrongful death suit brought in Dillon County Commons Pleas Court by his estate on March 6.
Powell was the owner of Reach-All Tree Service, according to his obituary.
The suit names Longs-based Todd’s Welding & Machine Shop as the defendant. Calls by News13 to a pair of numbers connected with the business weren’t immediately returned on Monday.
According to the complaint, Todd’s Welding & Machine Shop made a $1,250 repair to the cylinder a week before the accident but didn’t test it despite “several significant modifications” to the part.
“Defendant advertises and touts itself as having more than 45 years’ experience in hydraulic cylinder and heavy equipment repair,” the suit states.
Powell was working a job when the bucket plummeted 60 feet and ejected him, according to the suit.
Todd’s Welding is being sued for negligence, negligent hiring, training or supervision, breach of implied warranty, wrongful death, and liability.
Powell’s estate has requested a jury trial for an undisclosed amount of financial compensation.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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