“A PARENT’S WORST NIGHTMARE” — FAMILY SUES RACKET MAKER AFTER 6-YEAR-OLD GIRL’S FATAL ACCIDENT

LIMERICK, MAINE — What began as an ordinary family vacation turned into an unimaginable tragedy when 6-year-old Lucy Morgan was struck by a broken badminton racket and suffered a catastrophic head injury.

Now, more than two years after her death, Lucy’s family is suing Franklin Sports, alleging that the racket involved in the accident was defective and dangerously designed.

A FAMILY VACATION TURNS TRAGIC

The Morgan family, from New Jersey, was vacationing at a lake house in Limerick, Maine, on June 1, 2024.

Lucy was watching her older brother play badminton when the racket reportedly broke during a downward swing.

According to the lawsuit, the racket’s aluminum shaft detached from its wooden handle, becoming a projectile that struck Lucy in the temple and penetrated her skull.

Her father, Jesse Morgan, later described hearing a blood-curdling scream from outside.

Emergency responders rushed Lucy to a local hospital before she was airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland.

She survived for four days before succumbing to her injuries on June 5, 2024.

THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES A DANGEROUS DESIGN

The wrongful-death lawsuit was filed in York County Superior Court on behalf of Lucy’s family.

Attorneys allege the racket was “defective and unreasonably dangerous,” arguing that the connection between the metal shaft and wooden handle was inadequately secured.

The lawsuit also claims Franklin Sports failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential danger.

The family is seeking damages including funeral expenses, emotional distress, loss of companionship and other damages available under Maine law.

CLAIMS OF A PREVIOUS SIMILAR INJURY

Lucy’s family’s attorneys have also pointed to an earlier incident involving a Franklin badminton racket.

According to the lawsuit and the family’s attorneys, a child in New York previously suffered a permanent eye injury after a similar racket broke.

The attorneys argue that a relatively simple design modification could have reduced the danger of the metal shaft separating from the handle.

The Press Herald reported that Franklin Sports reached a settlement with a New York family in 2012 following a similar badminton-racket injury.

However, these allegations are part of the family’s civil lawsuit and have not been established as facts by a court.

THREE SIBLINGS WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT

The tragedy has affected the entire Morgan family.

Lucy’s three siblings reportedly witnessed the accident, while her parents rushed to her aid immediately afterward.

Her attorneys say the family has been left with an enormous emotional loss that cannot be repaired.

“This case represents a parent’s worst nightmare,” the family’s lawyers said in announcing the lawsuit.

FRANKLIN SPORTS FACES THE CLAIMS

Franklin Sports had not responded to requests for comment from the Press Herald as of its August 18 report, while the New York Post likewise reported that the company had not immediately responded to its request for comment.

The company will now have an opportunity to respond to the allegations through the legal process.

The lawsuit does not mean the allegations have been proven.

But for Lucy’s parents and siblings, the legal case represents an attempt to understand how a simple backyard game could end with the loss of a six-year-old child.

“SHE WAS BUBBLY”

Lucy has been remembered by her family as a beloved, joyful little girl whose life ended in a moment no one expected.

She was supposed to be enjoying a summer vacation with her parents and siblings.

Instead, a family gathering became the final day they would ever spend together with her.

A badminton game lasted only moments. The consequences have lasted more than two years.

Now Lucy’s family is asking a court to determine whether a preventable design or manufacturing problem contributed to the tragedy — and whether changes could stop another family from experiencing the same nightmare. 💔🕊️

The lawsuit contains allegations that have not been proven in court. Franklin Sports had not publicly responded to the reported requests for comment at the time of publication.