Best wishes to a speedy recovery. Thats sad to hear.

I've used the exact same stand 3 seasons now...and I mean a lot! Evidently you loosened the knobs as you climbed....a lot!. Even if I loosened the knob and stand on the tip end mine will not collapse. I've never had the first problem and am getting ready to buy another. There is no more amount of torque on the stand than any other brand, and I've tried almost all the stands made. You can adjust how tight the camlocks will be using a socket wrench, I prefer mine tight and don't need a crowbar to open and close the cams. Good luck.