Lucy Morgan was playing badminton on the final day of her 2024 vacation in Maine when the racket’s stem broke and impaled her head, according to the lawsuit.
LIMERICK, Maine — A family is suing Franklin Sports after their daughter died while playing badminton during a vacation in Limerick, Maine.

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed Monday against Franklin Sports, Inc. on behalf of the family of Lucy Morgan, a 6-year-old girl from New Jersey who died while vacationing in Maine, according to a release from the family’s attorneys, Berman & Simmons.

Berman & Simmons, a Portland-based law office, alleges that Lucy died after being struck in the head by a metal shaft of a badminton racket that separated from its handle while she was playing with her brothers.
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The family was at a lake house in Limerick on June 1, 2024, for their last day of vacation, according to the complaint. Lucy’s older siblings were playing badminton in the front yard while Lucy and her younger brother were watching nearby.
Lucy’s brother swung the racket, and the head and metal stem allegedly separated. The “exposed metal stem” struck Lucy in the temple and went into her skull, the lawsuit alleges.
Lucy was airlifted to Maine Medical Center but succumbed to her injuries on June 5, 2024, officials reported.
Franklin Sports manufactured and sold the badminton set, according to the complaint. It had been provided as part of the family’s rental cottage.

The lawsuit claims that the racket was defective and posed an unreasonable danger. It stated that the handle and metal stem were not securely attached, the adhesive used for the connection was flawed, and the racket lacked a secondary restraint to prevent the metal part from becoming a projectile if the connection failed.
The complaint also claims that Franklin Sports did not sufficiently warn consumers about the risk of the metal stem detaching from the racket during normal use.
“Lucy’s three siblings witnessed the incident, and her parents heard her screaming and came to her aid seconds after she was impaled,” the complaint said.
The lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of Lucy’s estate and her three siblings who witnessed the traumatic events. The lawsuit claims strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, wrongful death, and survival.

“This case represents a parent’s worst nightmare. The Morgan family was enjoying an idyllic summer vacation here in Maine when they lost Lucy due to what we allege was a dangerous and defective piece of sports equipment,” the family’s attorney, Travis M. Brennan, said. “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.”
Hehmeyer alleges that “the shaft of a Franklin badminton racket had already injured another child in New York before this incident.” The complaint argues that Franklin Sports Inc. knew about this issue with the racket and chose not to correct it even though the fix “would cost pennies.”
“The shaft from a Franklin badminton racket already took out the eye of another child in New York well before this tragedy. The company knew that but chose not to correct this with something as simple as a pin in the handle, which would cost pennies,” Hehmeyer said.
The lawsuit seeks damages permitted under Maine law, including funeral expenses, pecuniary loss, emotional distress, loss of comfort, society and companionship, and other available damages.
NEWS CENTER Maine has reached out to Franklin Sports Inc. but has not yet heard back.