Recalled Above Ground Pool Lawsuit: Bestway $15 Million Settlement, Intex and Summer Waves Drowning Claims

Many metal frame above-ground pools use a compression strap, sometimes called a reinforcing belt, that wraps around the outside of the vertical support legs near the ground. CPSC says the strap can create a foothold that lets a young child climb into the pool even when the ladder has been removed.

The main recall, announced July 21, 2025, covers about 5 million pools 48 inches and taller sold in the U.S. since 2002 (plus about 266,000 in Canada). CPSC believes nine children between 22 months and 3 years old drowned after using the footholds, in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri, between 2007 and 2022.

Bestway and Coleman pools

Bestway Power Steel, Steel Pro, and Coleman Power Steel pools 48 inches and taller sold from 2008 to 2024. Bestway's recall line is 844-593-4003.

Intex pools

Intex Metal Frame and Ultra Frame pools sold from 2002 to 2012, plus 266 Prism Frame and Ultra XTR Frame pools sold only at Intexcorp.com and Walmart in 2024 and 2025. Intex's recall line is 800-549-8829.

Polygroup, Summer Waves, and Funsicle pools

Polygroup pools sold from 2006 to 2025 under Summer Waves (2015 to 2025), Summer Escapes (2006 to 2015), Funsicle (2023 to 2025), Sand n Sun (2008 to 2011), and Blue Wave (2014 to 2025). Polygroup's recall line is 888-621-4137.

Later recalls with the same design

The pools were sold at Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, Lowe's, The Home Depot, BJ's, Big Lots, Amazon, Wayfair, and many other stores. The brand and model are printed on the outside of the liner.

Three things decide it: the height, the strap, and the brand.

• Height. Only pools 48 inches (4 feet) and taller are included. Smaller frame pools and inflatable ring pools are not part of these recalls.
• The strap. Walk around the pool and look near the ground. If a fabric strap or belt runs around the outside of the vertical legs, over the front of each leg, that is the design CPSC flagged. The problem is the step it creates between the ground and the pool wall.
• The brand and model. The brand name and model number are printed on the pool liner on the outside of the pool. Polygroup says to look for a box with customer service information on the side of the pool; the model number is in a section labeled "Polygroup."

Polygroup's recall site, polygrouprecall.com, lets you enter the model number to confirm coverage and then order the repair kit on the next screen. Intex has a pool model check at intexcorp.com/recall, and Bestway handles requests by phone at 844-593-4003 and through its recall support site.

The repair kits are free, and CPSC says to keep children from reaching the pool unattended, or drain it, until the kit is installed. The kits are designed to remove the outside strap as a climbing point while keeping the pool structurally sound. Evajoy's notice, for example, describes a kit that removes the compression strap while maintaining the pool's structural integrity.

Removing a ladder is not enough on its own. CPSC's notices say children can still climb in using the strap footholds even when the ladder is gone. Pool fencing with a self-closing, self-latching gate, a door or pool alarm, and constant adult supervision are the layers pool safety experts recommend, and they matter for every pool, recalled or not.

If you bought the pool used from a neighbor or a marketplace listing, you can still get the repair kit, even though second-hand buyers are excluded from the Bestway cash settlement.

The Bestway class settlement

In re: Bestway Above-Ground Pools Litigation, No. 1:25-cv-09570, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois before Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins. Susana Castro filed the first complaint on August 12, 2025, and similar cases were combined into one action. The plaintiffs alleged the pools were defectively designed and that the recall was inadequate because it offered only a repair kit, not money.

Bestway agreed to pay $15,000,000 into a settlement fund to resolve the economic claims, without admitting fault. Bestway denies that its pools are defective. The court will hold a fairness hearing on November 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CT to decide whether to grant final approval. Payments will not go out until the settlement is approved and any appeals end.

Intex and Polygroup

We did not find a comparable class settlement with Intex or Polygroup as of September 2026. Their owners still have the recall repair kit, and injury claims against any maker are handled individually.

Injury and wrongful death claims

Drowning and near-drowning cases are brought one family at a time under state product liability law, not through the class settlement. They are allegations until a court rules or the case settles.

Bestway settlement class: people in the U.S., its territories, or D.C. who bought, for personal use and not for resale, a Bestway-branded pool 48 inches or taller with compression straps outside the support poles, sold from 2008 through 2024. Excluded are second-hand buyers, retailers and distributors, people who opt out, Bestway and its affiliates, the judge's family, and class counsel.

Not sure? The settlement administrator can confirm at 1-855-789-5948.

Injury or wrongful death claims may exist for:

• A child who drowned, or survived a near-drowning, after getting into a recalled pool, especially where the outside strap was used as a foothold.
• Children with brain injury from lack of oxygen after a submersion.
• Cases involving any recalled brand: Bestway, Coleman, Intex, Summer Waves, Summer Escapes, Funsicle, Sand n Sun, Blue Wave, SereneLife, or Evajoy.

These cases are hard. The companies will point to supervision, fencing, and whether the ladder was removed. That is exactly why the foothold evidence, the pool itself, and photos of the scene matter.

Owners who were never harmed have two options at once: file the Bestway claim if eligible, and order the free repair kit.

All payments may be reduced or increased pro rata depending on how many valid claims are filed. Class counsel may ask for attorneys' fees of up to one-third of the $15 million fund, plus costs and $2,500 service awards for each class representative, all paid from the fund before class members are paid. The court decides the final fee amount.

Do the math before hunting for a receipt: a pool bought for $400 or less pays $40 or less at 10%, so the flat payment may be as good or better. For a more expensive pool, proof of purchase pays more. Our guide on whether you need proof of purchase explains how these tiers usually work.

Injury and death cases are valued on their own facts and can be far larger, but there is no public benchmark for these pool cases yet, and nothing here predicts any outcome.

1. Confirm your pool is a Bestway-branded pool (including Power Steel, Steel Pro, or Coleman Power Steel), 48 inches or taller, with the strap outside the legs, bought new between 2008 and 2024.
2. Go to the official settlement website, PoolSettlementBW.com, the only authorized site for this case. Claims are filed there, not through us or any other site.
3. Submit online by 11:59 p.m. CT on October 30, 2026, or mail a paper form postmarked by that date to Bestway Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 1869, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.
4. Upload a receipt or order record if you have one; otherwise claim the $40 payment.
5. Choose an electronic payment or a paper check, and keep your contact information current with the administrator.

For a step-by-step walkthrough of settlement claims in general, see how to file a class action settlement claim.

Injury and death claims rely on state product liability law: strict liability for a design defect (a strap placement that forms a climbable step), failure to warn, and negligence for continuing to sell the design after incidents were known. Families who lose a child bring a wrongful death claim under their state's statute.

The Bestway class case used state consumer protection, warranty, fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment theories to seek money for buyers whose pools, the plaintiffs said, were worth less than they paid.

Deadlines matter. Injury claims usually must be filed within two or three years under state law, and wrongful death statutes often run from the date of death. The Bestway settlement's claim, opt-out, and objection deadline is October 30, 2026. If you want to keep the right to sue Bestway yourself over the economic claims, you must opt out by October 30, 2026; injury claims are not released either way. See how to opt out or object.

1. Protect children today. CPSC says to make sure children cannot reach the pool unattended, or drain it until the repair is installed.
2. Order the free repair kit from Bestway, Intex, Polygroup, Blue Wave, or Evajoy (SereneLife offers a refund instead).
3. File the Bestway claim by October 30, 2026 if you qualify.
4. If a child was hurt, keep the pool, strap, ladder, and photos of the yard exactly as they were, and do not sign anything from a manufacturer or insurer.

If your child was injured or died in a recalled above-ground pool, independent attorneys who handle product injury and wrongful death cases can review what happened. A free case review takes about two minutes. You can also read about other household recall injuries on our Walmart dresser recall page.