Some sobering information on U.S. car jack failures......

NEISS estimated that 4,822 people in the U.S. receive hospital emergency treatment in a single year for jack failure injuries. That’s almost 5,000 people injured by the simple act of jacking up a vehicle for repair.

First, not one injured person from the sample of 102 cases was female. So extrapolating the sample, the NHTSA determined that the estimated 4,822 people injured across the U.S. annually were 100% male. But the agency also says that the limited size of the sample means that one can’t conclusively say that women never receive injuries from jack failure.

Additionally, 82% of those injured in jack collapses were between 15 and 45 years of age. Only 2% were below the age of 15. And the proportion of injured victims above 45 years of age declined significantly by the age of 54.

Of those injured in jack collapse accidents, the NEISS data indicated that 96% were treated in the emergency rooms and released. Only 4% were hospitalized. The data did not examine fatal jack failure incidents. The range of injuries reported fell into the following categories:

• 5% = amputations
• 10% = strains or sprains
• 15% = fractures
• 18% = lacerations
• 40% = contusions
• 13% = other (dental injuries, avulsions, and internal organ injuries)

39% of the most severe injuries were to the hand, finger, or wrist. Another 17% of the most severe wounds were sustained on the upper trunk of the body, with another 15% to the head, neck, or face.
40% of the jack failures occurred when the jack was being used to lift the vehicle for a repair, and another 19% occurred while the victim was changing a tire. 74% of the accidents were tied to the jack or the vehicle slipping or falling, while 18% were linked to a loss of pressure in the jack so that the jack could no longer support the vehicle. 


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