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The family of a six-year-old New Jersey girl who died following a badminton accident in Maine has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Franklin Sports, per WCVB. The legal action stems from a June 2024 incident where the young girl was struck by a broken racket while playing with her brother.
Lucy Morgan was vacationing with her family at a rental cottage in Limerick, Maine, when her ten-year-old brother swung the badminton racket. During the swing, the aluminum shaft separated from its wooden handle, piercing the girl's head while she sat on the sideline.
EMS personnel rushed her to a local hospital before she was airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Although doctors revived her, she suffered catastrophic brain injury and died four days later.
The family's attorney, Charles P. Hehmeyer of Berman & Simmons, described the event as “a parent’s worst nightmare.”
The lawsuit claims that the badminton racket provided with the rental cottage set was defective. According to the court filing, the product lacked sufficient adhesive to secure the metal stem to the handle, which allowed the shaft to detach and become a dangerous projectile.
The complaint further alleges that Massachusetts-based Franklin Sports failed to provide adequate safety warnings to consumers. Hehmeyer noted that a previous incident involved a child in New York who lost an eye to a similar racket. He claimed the company "chose not to correct this with something as simple as a pin in the handle, which would cost pennies."
Lucy's father, Jesse Morgan, who serves as a pastor at Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, New Jersey, documented the incident on his blog. In an entry titled "Calamity Strikes," he wrote, "Due to a freak accident with a racquet that broke on a downward swing, a sharp piece had entered Lucy’s skull while she was sitting on the sideline and caused catastrophic injury."
The legal action seeks compensation for funeral expenses, pecuniary loss, emotional distress, and loss of companionship. The attorney stated, “We are committed to obtaining justice for Lucy by holding Franklin Sports accountable. We want to ensure these rackets are manufactured in a way where this type of tragedy never occurs again.”
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