Jim Loyd Benson and Wife v. Tennessee

In this products liability case, Jim Benson was injured while working out of a bucket truck owned by his employer, Tennessee Valley Electric Cooperative ("TVEC"). A weld in the lower boom cylinder of the aerial device failed causing the bucket to drop six to eight inches and lunge back and forth several times. The product involved in this case is a vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating aerial device (boom unit) which was mounted on the back of the TVEC truck. TECO manufactured the boom unit and Hobbs Equipment Company ("Hobbs") sold the unit to TVEC.