39
CPSC NEISS Data 2005–2024

Carts, Other Or Not Specified

Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.

Personal Care & Safety Products · CPSC Code 1684

Stable over 5 years

The verdict

Carts, Other Or Not Specified carry a danger score of 39/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 8,551 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.

39/100
danger score (low risk)
8,551
ER visits per year (avg)
6.9%
end in hospital admission
75+
most-injured age group

Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1684 - last data year 2024.

PlainSafety danger score

0/100100/10039/100
PlainSafety danger score

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 39/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for carts, other or not specified - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume8,551 ER visits/yr
  • Severity (hospitalization rate)6.9%
  • Fatality rate0.02%
  • 5-year trend+1%

See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

Carts, Other Or Not Specified (CPSC product code 1684, in the Personal Care & Safety Products category) generate an estimated 8,551 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 171,029 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 39/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (12,281 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2009 (6,784 estimated visits).

The single most common ER diagnosis for carts, other or not specified is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 15,560 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the face (7,991 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 25,296 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 6.9% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.02%) result in fatality.

Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 7 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how carts, other or not specified fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.

8,551
Injuries / Year
6.9%
Hospitalization Rate
0.02%
Fatality Rate

Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)

6K8K10K12K14K 20052008201120142017202020232024 12K
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Carts, Other Or Not Specified, CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 2024

Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only

Who Gets Injured?

Age Group Male Female Total
0-4 10,857 7,223 18,080
5-14 9,262 8,066 17,328
15-24 7,337 8,762 16,099
25-34 7,071 7,886 14,957
35-44 7,186 8,451 15,637
45-54 9,608 12,878 22,486
55-64 9,737 12,525 22,262
65-74 7,165 11,718 18,883
75+ 9,518 15,778 25,296

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Head Internal Injury 15,560
Face Laceration 7,991
Lower Trunk Other 6,181
Foot Contusions, Abr. 5,940
Lower Leg Laceration 5,433
Head Laceration 5,176
Upper Trunk Other 4,895
Lower Trunk Strain, Sprain 4,864
Face Contusions, Abr. 4,192
Lower Leg Contusions, Abr. 3,880
Knee Contusions, Abr. 3,166
Ankle Strain, Sprain 3,116
Upper Trunk Contusions, Abr. 3,112
Lower Trunk Contusions, Abr. 2,982
Knee Other 2,935

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 90.6% (155,040)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 5.4% (9,240)
Left Without Being Seen 1.9% (3,300)
Treated And Transferred 1.5% (2,585)
Held For Observation 0.5% (808)
Fatality Incl. Doa, Died In Er 0.0% (56)
Unknown, Not Stated 0.0% (16)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 47 · Female · Wrist · Other · 2024

47YOF PUSHING A CART AND FELT SHARP PAIN TO WRISTDX WRIST PAIN

Age 47 · Male · Not Stated/unk · Other · 2024

47YOM PRESENTS TO ED FOR DIZZINESS, LOC. THIS EVENING IN KITCHEN STOOD UP TO GO TO BATHROOMA ND SUDDENLY BECAME DIZZY. WIFE WAS THERE ADN WITNESSED EVENT REPORTS TRIED STEADY HIMSELF BY GRABBING ONTO CART IN KITCHEN. PT PASSED OUT, PULLED CART ON TOP OF HIM. DENIES HEADACHE OR OTHER INJURIES. DX: SYNCOPE

Age 84 · Female · Face · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

84YOF PATIENT COMES FROM A LOCAL NURSING FACILITY, SHE HAD A FALL WHILE TRYING TO MOVE A CART WHEN IT SLIPPED FROM UNDERNEATH HER, ABRASION ON HER LEFT EYEBROW DX: FALL, ABRASION OF LEFT EYEBROW

Age 61 · Female · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

61YOF C/O FALL WHILE PUSING A CART AROUND AT THE LAUNDRY MAT IN WHICH SHE FELL AND SLIPPED ONTO THE CART. PAIN TO RIGHT SIDE OF HER NECK, RIGHT SHOULDER, LOWER ABDOMEN, SUPRAPUBIC PAIN, AND RIGHT KNEE PAIN. SCANS WERE NEGATIVE. DX: FALL, CLOSED HEAD INJURY, LOWER ABDOMINAL PAIN, PAIN OF RIGHT LOWER EXTREMITY

Age 59 · Male · Shoulder · Strain, Sprain · 2024

59 YOM REPORTS RIGHT SHOULDER PAIN WHICH STARTED WHILE PULLING A HEAVY CART TO AND FROM THE FOOD BANK. DX: SYNCOPE, RIGHT SHOULDER INJURY, INJURY OF RIGHT ROTATOR CUFF.

Age 3 · Female · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

3YOF FATHER OF CHILD REPORTS THE CHILD WAS STANDING IN A CART AT A LOCAL HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE *** WHEN THEY RAN INTO A SMALL CONCRETE LEDGE WITH THE CART WHICH CAME TO AN ABRUPT, CAUSING THE CHILD TO FALL FORWARD ONTO THE GROUND, ONTO HER HEAD DX: INJURY OF HEAD IN PEDIATRIC PATIENT

Age 45 · Male · Lower Leg · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

45YOM STATES THAT HE BUMPED HIS LEFT LOWER LEG ON A CART A FEW DAYS AGO SUSTAINED AN ABRASION DX: ABRASION TO LEFT LOWER LEG

Age 84 · Male · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

84YOM WAS PULLING A CART DOWN SIDEWALK WHEN HE TRIPPED ON UNEVEN PAVEMENT AND FELL LANDING ON HEAD DX:CLOSED HEAD INJURY

Age 21 · Female · Lower Trunk · Other · 2024

21YOF BIBEMS AFTER PED STRUCK BY VAN WHILE PUSHING A CART. PT HAS LOW BACK AND NECK PAIN DX: ACUTE BILATERAL LOW BACK PAIN WITHOUT SCIATICA

Age 79 · Female · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

79YOF WAS PUSHING A CART AT THE NURSING HOME AND HAD A FALL ONTO HEAD DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY

Age 4 · Male · Finger · Crushing · 2024

4 YOM C/O FINGER PAIN GOT FINGER CAUGHT IN SHOPPING CART WHEEL DX CRUSHING INJURY FINGER

Age 26 · Male · Finger · Crushing · 2024

26YOM PRESENTS WITH A FINGER INJURY AFTER CRUSHING HIS FINGER WITH A METAL CART. DX: CRUSHING INJURY OF FINGER

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

9/5/2016 · Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional · Tricam Industries, Inc. · California

On September 3, 2016, In purchased the Guerilla Wagon from Home Depot. As soon as I opened the box I noticed the awful smell. I realized it was the tires. The smell gave me a sever headache and caused my face to burn. I thought the smell would go away after a couple of days but it did not. The smell is strong and can be smelled from several meters away. I will be returning the product immediately. Store SKU 824220

9/18/2022 · Incident, No Injury · MACSPORTS · North Carolina

Product is : MAC SPORTS HEAVY DUTY STEEL FRAME COLLAPSIBLE FOLDING 150 POUND CAPACITY OUTDOOR BEACH GARDEN UTILITY WAGON The issue is: THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF THIS WAGON IS SUBSTANDARD AND UNACCEPTABLE. IT IS COMPLETELY UNSTABLE, EVEN ON FLAT SURFACES, AND CAN REPRESENT A SERIOUS HAZARD TO USERS AND DAMAGE TO CARTED CONTENTS. • With a 3-point wheel configuration, the slightest turn of the centered front wheel assembly causes the wagon to topple sideways. It cannot “be pulled across multiple surfaces.” It is totally unstable on beach sand and even on flat road surfaces. If the slightest turn is made the wagon topples over sideways. • The attachment of the handle to the front wheel axle instead of the wagon frame causes the wagon to have a front lift when the handle is grasped at waist height. This tilt causes the wagon to topple backwards and/or collapse (foldup) at the point of any modest elevation or uneven surface. • On any encounter with a rise of elevation, even a slight ramp from ground to a 2x6 walking deck, the wagon topples backward and/or sideways, emptying its contents. • Mac Sports does not provide sufficient warning to "Never place a child in this wagon." Wagon has an interior box length of only 33” and the side walls are only 10 ½”. Beach chairs will not fit in the box and/or will be unstable (top-heavy). Pulling this wagon while crossing roads may result in upset of contents and exposure to traffic issues. Mac Sports does not provide sufficient warnings about hazards in use of this wagon, misrepresents the wagon's utility. Injuries and damages to property may occur.

7/16/2017 · Incident, No Injury · Amazon.com LLC · Massachusetts

I purchased a kayak cart to transport my kayak to a nearby river. I purchased the cart available here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0082365AQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 from River Colony Trading Company. After inflating and instilling the two tires as instructed, I strapped my kayak to the cart. I turned around to pick up my water bottle, and heard an explosion. The inner tube burst and shattered the plastic hub on the wheel. The plastic parts were strewn as far as 3-5 feet. Had I been standing closer, I likely would have been injured. Upon contacting the company, it seemed unconcerned about the safety hazard.

5/7/2021 · Death · Luxor · Wisconsin

[REDACTED] I about [REDACTED] years ago I was made aware of a child who died while trying to climb on one of our products. I also learned there had been multiple other children who had similar incidents where they also perished as results to their injuries. As far as I know all lawsuits were settled. In each case heavy items were placed on top of these products. and a small child was either able to pull it down or a component failed causing the cart to collapse on the child. Since the [REDACTED] incident I have a sense of guilt for not pushing my supervisors harder to recall the products. They felt it wasn't necessary and feared the financial cost if they do have to recall the product. They also didn't want this information disclosed to the rest of the employees in the company. Today they still have weight ratings on their products I know are unsafe and false. I feel this should be looked into as there are 10,000- 100,000 units if not more in our public schools. I am giving my best guess on when I first learned about this. There are legal cases for every instance. I can also provide a lot more history on this if and their testing processes if the agency feels it is necessary. [REDACTED]

5/13/2023 · Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received · Luxor · California

What happened that made you want to report? Received the recall email What type of product(s) were being used? LUXOR AVJ42KB Presentation Cart, 24" W x 18" D x 24"-42" H Who was using the product(s)? Employees at the warehouse How were the product(s) being used? Order processing Were there any injuries that happened or may have happened while using the product? Yes How did any injuries occur? It’s not stable

10/26/2023 · Incident, No Injury · Walmart Stores Inc. · New York

2 metal pieces on utility wagon snapped in half resulting in extremely sharp dangerous edges

1/14/2014 · Incident, No Injury · JT International Dist., Inc. · Unspecified

EZ Entry Horse Cart manufactured by Tough-1 Company and sold by Stateline Tack has manufacturing defects which could result in injury. Shafts are manufactured incorrectly, (shafts turn in instead of out), and one shaft does not fit inside the other part correctly, resulting in a tear in the metal piece over time. Also, there is no pre-drilled hole into which to fasten a bolt which secures the seat. This could result in throwing the driver out of the seat, should the cart hit a bump. Defects have caused issues with the cart identified by professional horse driving instructor on the below date.

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to carts, other or not specified on the CPSC website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How dangerous are carts, other or not specified?

Based on 20 years of CPSC data, carts, other or not specified have a danger score of 39/100 (low risk). An estimated 8,551 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.

What are the most common injuries from carts, other or not specified?

The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 15,560 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from carts, other or not specified increasing or decreasing?

Stable over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for carts, other or not specified injuries?

The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 25,296 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by carts, other or not specified?

Of all ER visits involving carts, other or not specified, approximately 6.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.

How can I report a safety problem with carts, other or not specified?

You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.

Safety Guides

What this means for you

Treat the 39/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.

  • See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
  • Injuries cluster in the 75+ age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
  • Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls

NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.

Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.