Igloo Cooler Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Fingertip Amputation Risks

Lawsuit was brought one month after a massive Igloo recall issued due to reports of user fingertips being cut off by cooler’s handle.

A California man has filed a lawsuit alleging that his son’s fingers were pinched by an Igloo cooler, which was later recalled due to multiple reports of similar finger injuries caused by a dangerous and defective handle design.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Robert Castellano in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on March 28, naming Igloo Products Corp. as the defendant.

Just over a month ago, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of more than 1 million Igloo coolers on February 13, following at least 12 reports of fingertip injuries linked to the handles of Igloo 90 Quart Flip and Tow Rolling Coolers, which included reports of deep lacerations, bone fractures and even partial finger amputations.

According to the complaint, Castellano purchased an Igloo MaxCold Latitude 90 Roller Cooler in 2022. However, when his 17-year-old son had his fingers pinched by the cooler’s handle while on a camping trip in August 2024, Castellano stopped using the cooler.

Castellano indicates that after receiving a recall notice for the cooler several months later, he applied for a new handle to be sent to him, which he received but did not feel comfortable using as a replacement for the defective device.

“Reasonable consumers expect that a simple product like a cooler will cause them no harm. After all, what harm can a properly insulated box cause?” the lawsuit states. “Defendant, however, has betrayed customers’ reasonable expectations.”

Castellano’s lawsuit also criticizes the scope of Igloo’s recall remedy, claiming that simply offering a replacement handle, without refunds or full product replacements, falls short of industry standards for addressing safety hazards. As a result, Castellano is requesting a full refund for the purchase price of his cooler.

The lawsuit further accuses Igloo of being aware of the defect long before the recall was issued, referencing prior consumer complaints submitted directly to the company and posted publicly online, asserting that Igloo failed to warn users or take corrective action until after multiple injuries had been reported.

The complaint alleges that Igloo’s conduct was “knowing, intentional, and malicious,” and demonstrated a conscious disregard for consumer safety.

The complaint brings forth claims of breach of implied warranty and violations of multiple California consumer protection statutes, including the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the Legal Remedies Act, the Unfair Competition Law, and the False Advertising Law.

If certified as a class action, the lawsuit could impact thousands of Igloo customers across the country who bought coolers subject to the recall.

Igloo Cooler Recall

The recalled Igloo Flip and Tow Rolling Coolers referenced in Castellano’s lawsuit were produced in the United States prior to January 2024. They were made available for purchase from January 2019 through January 2025 at major retailers, including Costco, Target, Academy and Dick’s Sporting Goods, as well as online platforms like Amazon.com and Igloocoolers.com. Prices ranged from $80 to $140.

The manufacturing date can be found stamped on the bottom of each cooler, in a circular format. An arrow points to the production month, while the center of the circle displays the last two digits of the year.

The CPSC is advising customers to stop using the affected coolers immediately and to contact Igloo for a replacement handle.