Brdar vs. Cottrell, Et. Al.| New Lawsuits: Wednesday, June 1
It just goes on and on. (This is the personal injury lawsuit against Cottrell.) Most reasonable people understand that quarter inch chain is safe when checked regularly and used properly. The issue is worker training and vehicle maintenance. They've been using quarter inch chain to tie down cars since they started making them. The problem of chain failure can be solved by adopting the following common-sense approaches:
Inspect your chains regularly, especially the ones on the bottom positions. If they've been dragged, replace them.
Find out the appropriate amount of torque to use to tighten the ratchets. Boydstun has a new tie-down bar that will actually show you when you're using too much force. There is plenty of information out there on the Internet on proper chain-tightening procedure.
Four chains to a vehicle. Always.
Or just use soft ties.
