Ladders · #1 of 45 by ER visits

Ladders: injury statistics

Extension, straight and multi-position ladders. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 174,512 emergency room visits in the US.

Ladders
Photo: mounishraja / Unsplash
174,512
ER visits in 2025
22%
admitted or transferred
0%
change since 2016
30%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 3,590 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 174,92516’2017: 179,94317’2018: 160,39418’2019: 152,68219’2020: 150,02820’2021: 136,87321’2022: 143,41422’2023: 145,21023’2024: 173,45924’2025: 174,51225’
Calculator

Ladder angle & size calculator

How it works →

Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Fracture35%
Other17%
Internal injury13%
Contusion or abrasion11%
Strain or sprain8.8%
Laceration8.6%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Head17%
Upper trunk14%
Lower trunk14%
Ankle6.5%
Shoulder6.1%
Foot5.5%

Age of injured people

79% male · 2021–2025

0-41.3%
5-141.8%
15-244.6%
25-4423%
45-6439%
65-7420%
75+11%

Real cases

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

69-year-old male was up on a ladder and the ladder slid out from under him and fell face first on the ladder hitting his head — diagnosis: Left rib fractures, neck pain, left shoulder pain.
44-year-old male fell off of a 12 ft ladder. Patient believes he hit his head. He endorses head and neck pain after fall. He had trouble concentrating while playing poker last night. — diagnosis: Head injury, post concussion syndrome.
68-year-old male fell from a ladder and hurt his ribs. — diagnosis: Rib fracture, pulmonary embolism, ileus.
77-year-old female complains of head injury and scalp contusion after fall off a ladder. — diagnosis: Head injury; scalp contusion.
Recalls

Recalls of ladders

4 since 2010
Louisville Ladder Recalls Over One Million Attic Stairway Ladders Due to Risk of Serious Injury or Death from Fall Hazard2026-08-06 · FallLaddersWerner Recalls 20' and 24' Multi-Max Pro Multi-Purpose Ladders Due to Fall Hazard2025-08-14 · FallLaddersWerner Recalls Aluminum Ladders Due to Fall Hazard2018-06-20 · FallLaddersWing Enterprises Recalls Little Giant Ladders Due to Fall Hazard2017-03-23 · FallLadders

Questions

How many people are injured by ladders each year?

About 174,512 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving ladders in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 154,694 a year.

What are the most common injuries from ladders?

Fracture is the most common diagnosis (35% of cases 2021–2025), and the head is the most often injured body part (17%).

How often do injuries from ladders need hospital admission?

21.8% 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 codes 4077, 4078. 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

Related tools

Stepladders15,446