Bestway Above-Ground Pool Settlement, Check If You Qualify In re, Bestway Above-Ground Pools Litigation, No. 1:25-cv-09570

October 30, 2026. That’s your deadline to claim money from the Bestway pool settlement, and it’s closer than it sounds. Bestway is paying $15,000,000 to settle claims over above-ground pools with a compression strap on the outside of the legs — the same feature federal regulators say let small children climb in unnoticed. Filing takes about five minutes.

Bestway Above-Ground Pool Settlement — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$15,000,000
Claim Deadline	October 30, 2026
Who Qualifies	U.S. buyers of a 48″+ Bestway, Power Steel, Steel Pro, or Coleman Power Steel pool with straps outside the legs, bought 2008–2024, for personal use
Estimated Payout	$40 with no proof of purchase, or 10% of the price paid (or average retail price) with valid proof
Proof Required (Yes/No)	No — but proof gets you a bigger check
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved May 4, 2026; final approval pending a Nov. 20, 2026 fairness hearing
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois — No. 1:25-cv-09570
Law Alleged	UNVERIFIED — exact statutory counts in the complaint not independently confirmed; case materials describe design-defect and inadequate-recall theories
Administrator	Bestway Settlement Administrator (Eisner Advisory Group LLC)
Official Claim Site	poolsettlementbw.pnclassaction.com
Last Updated	September 5, 2026

Who Is Bestway and Why Are They Being Sued for a Drowning Hazard?

Bestway makes and sells some of the most common above-ground pools in the country, including its Power Steel and Steel Pro lines, often priced between $400 and over $1,000. The lawsuit claims Bestway built these pools with a strap running along the outside of the support legs — and that this strap created a step a toddler could use to climb in, ladder or no ladder. Plaintiffs say Bestway knew about the risk for years before the government stepped in.

What Did Bestway Do Between 2008 and 2024?

In July 2025, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled about 5 million Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup pools 48 inches or taller, warning that the outside strap “may create a foothold, allowing a child access to the pool.” The CPSC linked nine child drownings, ages 22 months to 3 years, to the design between 2007 and 2022, in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

Here’s the part that pushed people toward a lawsuit instead of just accepting the recall: the fix Bestway offered was a rope kit to replace the strap. No cash. No refund. Class counsel argued that wasn’t enough for people who’d already paid for a pool with a design flaw baked in, and In re: Bestway Above-Ground Pools Litigation, No. 1:25-cv-09570, followed in the Northern District of Illinois.

This isn’t the first time this exact design has cost Bestway money. In 2025, a St. Louis federal jury awarded $25 million to the family of a 2-year-old who drowned in 2019 after using the same outside strap to climb into a Bestway pool — a separate wrongful death case, not part of this settlement, but a sign the design flaw wasn’t hypothetical.

Bestway denies any wrongdoing. That’s standard in a settlement like this — it lets both sides skip a trial. It doesn’t mean the underlying claims were baseless.

Related article: EmblemHealth Senior Care Co-Pay Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Bianculli v. City of New York, Index No. 160234/2022

Are You Part of the Bestway Pool Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

You likely qualify if you:

• Bought a Bestway, Power Steel, Steel Pro, or Coleman Power Steel above-ground pool for your own home, not for resale
• Owned a model 48 inches or taller with the compression strap running outside the support legs
• Made that purchase sometime between 2008 and 2024
• Bought it in the United States, a U.S. territory, or Washington, D.C.

You do not qualify if you bought the pool secondhand, bought it as a retailer or distributor, or purchased a strap-behind-the-pole model — those weren’t part of this recall or this case.

Bestway Pool Owners Outside a Specific State — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. This is a nationwide settlement. It covers the United States, its territories, and Washington, D.C. — there’s no state-by-state carve-out here.

Not sure if you qualify for the Bestway pool settlement? A free consultation with a product liability attorney can help before the October 30 deadline, especially if your family experienced an injury the settlement doesn’t cover.

How Much Can Bestway Settlement Class Members Get? Up to 10% Back

Bestway Payout With Proof — 10% of What You Paid

If you still have a receipt or other proof of purchase, you can claim 10% of the actual price you paid, or 10% of the average retail price if your proof doesn’t show a dollar amount.

Bestway Payout Without Proof — $40 Flat

No receipt, no box, no memory of the exact store? You can still file and receive a flat $40 cash payment.

Payment comes by check or an electronic option you choose on the claim form. Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099. Check with a tax professional if that applies to you.

Honestly, the no-proof option is the one most people will use — and it’s also the one worth doing math on. The $15 million fund has to cover payouts and notice costs and attorneys’ fees, which class counsel can request up to one-third of the settlement — as much as $5 million — plus $2,500 service awards for each of the eight named plaintiffs. What’s left over is split among everyone who files. More claims filed means a smaller slice for everyone, so there’s no upside to waiting.

How to File Your Bestway Pool Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to poolsettlementbw.pnclassaction.com, the official online claim form
2. Enter your name, contact information, and where you bought the pool
3. Choose whether you’re claiming with or without proof of purchase
4. Upload a receipt or other proof if you have it — this raises your payout
5. Submit the form and save your confirmation number
6. Watch your email — the administrator will reach out if anything’s missing

Takes about 5 minutes. ⚠️ 55 days left as of today — file now at poolsettlementbw.pnclassaction.com.

Should Bestway Class Members Opt Out or Object Before October 30?

What Opting Out of the Bestway Settlement Actually Means

Opting out means you get no payment from this settlement, but you keep your right to sue Bestway on your own over the same claims. Most people shouldn’t opt out without talking to a lawyer first. The opt-out deadline is October 30, 2026, and you can’t do it by phone — it has to be in writing, online or by mail.

How to Object to the Bestway Settlement

Objecting is different. You stay in the class, keep your right to a payment, but tell the court you disagree with some part of the deal. Objections go to the Clerk’s Office, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604 — and they’re due by October 30, 2026, too.

Talk to a product liability attorney before October 30 if you’re weighing either option.

Bestway Pool Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Settlement Preliminarily Approved	May 4, 2026
Claims Period Opens	UNVERIFIED — exact opening date not stated on the settlement site
Claim Filing Deadline	October 30, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	October 30, 2026
Objection Deadline	October 30, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	November 20, 2026
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — administrator states payment can’t go out until final approval and any appeals are resolved; no fixed date given

Bestway Pool Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 1:25-cv-09570

Do I need a lawyer to file a Bestway pool settlement claim? 

No. Class counsel — including Pearson Warshaw, LLP and Laukaitis Law LLC — already represents the class for free. You can hire your own consumer rights lawyer if you want a second opinion, at your own cost.

Is the Bestway pool settlement legitimate? 

Yes. It’s overseen by U.S. District Judge Lindsey C. Jenkins in the Northern District of Illinois, and the only official site is poolsettlementbw.com — not a third-party lookalike.

When will Bestway settlement payments be sent?

 Not before the November 20, 2026 fairness hearing, and not until any appeals of that approval are resolved. There’s no guaranteed date yet.

What if I missed the Bestway claim deadline?

 Claims postmarked or submitted online after October 30, 2026 generally won’t be accepted. Contact the settlement administrator directly to ask about your specific situation.

Will my Bestway settlement payment go on a 1099? 

Payments over $600 may be reported. Ask a tax professional if you’re not sure how this applies to you.

Does the Bestway settlement replace the free recall repair kit?

 No. The cash settlement and the 2025 CPSC recall repair kit are separate. Filing a claim here doesn’t require you to have used the recall, and using the recall doesn’t affect your right to file a claim.

How much could I get from the Bestway settlement without a receipt? 

A flat $40 cash payment, as long as your claim form is timely and otherwise valid.

Can I opt out of the Bestway settlement and sue on my own? 

Yes, by October 30, 2026 — but you’d give up any payment from this settlement, and cases like the $25 million Missouri jury verdict against Bestway show individual suits can take years to resolve.

Sources Used in This Bestway Pool Article

• Official Settlement Website — In re: Bestway Above-Ground Pools Litigation, homepage, accessed Sept. 5, 2026: https://www.poolsettlementbw.com/
• Official Settlement FAQ — In re: Bestway Above-Ground Pools Litigation, FAQs page, accessed Sept. 5, 2026: https://www.poolsettlementbw.com/faqs/
• CPSC Recall Notice — “Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup Recall Certain Above-Ground Pools,” July 21, 2025: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002
• Official Law Firm Announcement — Pearson Warshaw, LLP, class counsel appointment notice: https://pwfirm.com/?p=5933
• Official Settlement Notice — PR Newswire, Aug. 4, 2026: https://www.webull.com/news/15342642201977856

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official settlement website (poolsettlementbw.com), its FAQ page, and the CPSC’s July 2025 recall notice, as of September 5, 2026. Last Updated: September 5, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.