ST. LOUIS - A Scott County man wants payback from Sunbelt Rentals Inc. of Cape Girardeau after he was allegedly electrocuted using an electric power cutter.
According to a petition filed Feb. 18 in the Cape Girardeau Circuit Court, plaintiff Gregory Rutledge was in for a shock when he used a Husqvarna Model K 400 Electric Power Cutter to cut into concrete for a pipe replacement at a job in Cape Girardeau in April of 2019. Unbeknownst to Rutledge, the power cord of the cutter had been cut, spliced and taped back together in an unprofessional attempt at electrical repair, the suit claims.
While using the cutter, Rutledge says he was electrocuted and unable to let go of the power tool, unable to see or move until a breaker tripped and electricity stopped flowing through the machine. As a result of the incident, the plaintiff says he suffers from lasting pain, numbness, disorientation and dizziness, light sensitivity and difficulty speaking.
Rutledge seeks at least $25,000 from Sunbelt Rentals for his injuries and expenses. He is represented by Osburn, Hine and Yates LLC.
The defendant removed the case to St. Louis federal court on March 29.