Are about 3,000 Americans injured by beach umbrellas every year? | Fact brief

Federal estimates indicate about 300 Americans — not 3,000 — are injured by beach umbrellas every year.

A 2019 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission safety flyer said an estimated 2,800 beach umbrella-related injuries were treated in emergency rooms nationwide from 2010 to 2018, an average of 311 per year.

The 3,000 figure is related to all umbrella injuries. In May 2019, Virginia Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine said the CPSC website showed more than 31,000 hospital treatments for umbrella-related injuries from 2008 to 2017 — averaging 3,100 per year. Still, they noted that the data did not distinguish beach umbrellas from other umbrella types.

CPSC warns that windblown beach umbrellas can kill or cause serious injuries. The agency’s 2025 guidance says umbrellas should be used with anchors that can resist at least 75 pounds of upward force or remain secure in winds up to 30 mph.