Steering column problem

I recently had a clutch replacement and the
timing belt replacement done on my 2009
Hyundai Alandra sport. It has 165,000 km on
it. Two weeks after these repairs my wife was
driving and the steering column came
completely detached from the steering wheel
dropping to the floor behind the break pedal.
She was unable to steer and unable to stop
the car. Luckily she was able to get the car
stopped without incident. We returned the
car to the mechanic who did the initial clutch
and timing belt replacement who claimed
that the steering column had nothing to do
with the repair that they had just done. My
question is this; does the steering column
need to be moved or adjusted in anyway to
perform either one of these repairs? I am on
the hook for hundreds of dollars of repairs
rental cars and towing. As well I would like to
know for my own peace of mind whether I
can trust this mechanic and whether I should
proceed with the lawsuit.