Honduh@Love

i put new struts on my civic yesterday. today on my way to work the front passenger side strut started making a knocking noise then i got to work and looked and the bushing and washer thing on top the strut was completly off. i found the bushing but the washer snapped i think. could this have happend due to tihtening the bolt on top the strut to tight? my friend said today he thinks it shouldve just been hand tight, but yesterday, we used an air ratchet so i think that was most likely the problem. could some one verify this for me? thanks