A New Jersey family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Franklin Sports, alleging that a defect in a badminton racket caused the fatal injury of their 6-year-old daughter, Lucy Morgan, during a family vacation in Maine in June 2024. The lawsuit claims the racket's aluminum shaft separated from its handle during a game, striking Lucy in the skull and causing catastrophic brain injuries.

According to the complaint filed in York County, Maine, the racket's handle and metal stem were not adequately secured, and the adhesive connecting them was defective. The suit also alleges that there was no secondary restraint to prevent the shaft from becoming detached and that Franklin Sports failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential for separation during ordinary use.

Lucy was on vacation with her parents, Jesse and Bethany Morgan, and her three siblings at a rented cottage in Limerick, Maine. The badminton set was provided with the rental property. During a game, her 10-year-old brother was swinging the racket when the shaft detached, flew through the air, and struck Lucy, who was sitting on the sidelines. Emergency crews responded, and Lucy was airlifted to Maine Medical Center, where she underwent surgery. Doctors were unable to save her, and she died four days later.

Lucy's father, Jesse Morgan, described the incident as a parent's worst nightmare and stated that the family is seeking justice by holding Franklin Sports accountable. The lawsuit highlights that a simple safety measure costing minimal expense could have potentially prevented the tragedy. The family attorney, Charles P Hehmeyer of Berman & Simmons, characterized the accident as a result of dangerous and defective sports equipment.

The death has been particularly devastating for Lucy's siblings, who were present during the accident. According to her father, they have struggled to comprehend the event and blamed themselves. Lucy’s father Jesse Morgan and her siblings gathered at her hospital bedside after doctors warned the family that the six-year-old had suffered catastrophic brain injuries

The lawsuit was filed more than two years after the incident occurred. The legal complaint alleges the racket's design and manufacturing were flawed, leading to the tragic outcome. Lucy was playing badminton with her 10-year-old brother when the racket's aluminum shaft became dislodged from its wooden handle and struck her in the head

Maine State Police determined the injury to be unintentional. Lucy was vacationing with her parents, Jesse and Bethany Morgan, and her three siblings in Limerick, Maine, when the freak badminton accident occurred