Hand tools · #13 of 45 by ER visits

Hammers: injury statistics

Claw, framing and sledge hammers. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 25,331 emergency room visits in the US.

Hammers
Photo: polarmermaid / Unsplash
25,331
ER visits in 2025
2.5%
admitted or transferred
-11%
change since 2016
11%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 482 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 28,57416’2017: 30,37417’2018: 26,06718’2019: 22,78119’2020: 20,27320’2021: 18,93321’2022: 20,28922’2023: 18,06723’2024: 22,82924’2025: 25,33125’

Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Laceration22%
Contusion or abrasion20%
Other15%
Fracture15%
Foreign body5.2%
Internal injury4.8%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Finger42%
Hand12%
Head9.5%
Eye6.1%
Face4.4%
Lower leg3.4%

Age of injured people

84% male · 2021–2025

0-41.8%
5-145.8%
15-2416%
25-4436%
45-6429%
65-748.2%
75+3.3%

Real cases

From NEISS case narratives, 2024–2025. Abbreviations expanded.

13-year-old male with scratches on hand from a utility knife opening a box and using a hammer — diagnosis: Abrasion.
36-year-old male walked into er with spider bite on the right index finger x 4 days ago and patient also hit the affected finger with a hammer as well. Patient's finger is swollen, warm to touch and severely painful. — diagnosis: Finger swelling; abscess of fi.
48-year-old female was using a hammer to take out a nail and accidently hit her mouth. — diagnosis: Laceration of lip.
40-year-old male slammed right index finger with a hammer — diagnosis: Contusion finger.
Recalls

Recalls of hammers

3 since 2010
Stanley Black & Decker Recalls Wooden Handle Nailing Hammer Due to Injury Hazard2019-11-27HammersFitness Anywhere Recalls TRX Dip and Hammer Bars Due to Risk of Injury (Recall Alert)2014-03-05 · FallHammersBrigade Hickory Handle Sledge Hammers Recalled by White Cap Construction Supply Due to Risk of Injury2010-08-18 · ImpactHammers

Questions

How many people are injured by hammers each year?

About 25,331 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving hammers in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 21,090 a year.

What are the most common injuries from hammers?

Laceration is the most common diagnosis (22% of cases 2021–2025), and the finger is the most often injured body part (42%).

How often do injuries from hammers need hospital admission?

2.5% of ER visits ended with the patient admitted or transferred to another hospital in 2021–2025.

About these numbers

National estimates from the CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), product code 827. A case is counted if the tool appears in any of its three product fields. Estimates under 1,200 or based on fewer than 20 cases are flagged. Methodology · CSV

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