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

LIMERICK, MAINE — What was supposed to be the final carefree day of a family vacation became a tragedy no parent could have imagined.

Lucy Morgan was just 6 years old when a badminton racket broke during a family game in June 2024, sending a metal shaft flying into the child and causing a catastrophic head injury.

Now, more than two years after Lucy’s death, her family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Franklin Sports, alleging that the racket was dangerously defective.

A FAMILY VACATION TURNS TRAGIC

The Morgan family, from New Jersey, was spending the final day of a vacation at a lake house in Limerick, Maine, on June 1, 2024.

Lucy’s older siblings were playing badminton in the front yard while Lucy and another sibling watched nearby.

According to the lawsuit, Lucy’s brother swung the racket during the game when the metal shaft and racket head separated from the wooden handle.

The exposed metal portion reportedly flew toward Lucy and struck her in the temple, penetrating her skull.

Her siblings witnessed the horrifying accident.

Her parents heard her scream and rushed to her.

FOUR DAYS OF FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE

Lucy was transported to a local hospital before being airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland.

Doctors attempted to save her, but the injuries were catastrophic.

Lucy died on June 5, 2024, four days after the accident.

She was only 6 years old.

Her family had traveled to Maine expecting to create happy summer memories.

Instead, they returned home without their daughter.

THE FAMILY SAYS THE RACKET WAS DEFECTIVE

The lawsuit, filed in York County Superior Court, alleges that the badminton racket was “defective and unreasonably dangerous.”

Attorneys representing the Morgan family claim the connection between the metal shaft and handle was inadequately secured and that the adhesive used to hold the components together was defective.

The lawsuit further alleges that the racket lacked a secondary safety mechanism that could have prevented the metal portion from becoming a projectile if the primary connection failed.

The family also claims consumers were not adequately warned that the racket could separate during ordinary use.

ATTORNEYS SAY THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN

The family’s attorneys say the tragedy raises questions about whether Franklin Sports had previously been warned about similar dangers.

Attorney Charles Hehmeyer said a child in New York had previously suffered a permanent eye injury involving a Franklin badminton racket.

He alleged that a relatively simple design change, such as adding a pin to secure the handle, could have prevented the metal shaft from becoming a projectile.

The lawsuit also points to a 2012 settlement involving Franklin Sports and a New York family after a child was injured by a badminton racket.

Those allegations will now be examined through the civil court process.

A FAMILY FOREVER CHANGED

Lucy’s three siblings witnessed the accident, according to the lawsuit.

Her parents were only seconds away when they heard their daughter’s screams.

That means the tragedy did not end when Lucy died.

Her family has been left to live with the memory of those final moments — and the absence of a little girl who should have had decades ahead of her.

The lawsuit seeks damages including funeral expenses, emotional distress, loss of companionship and other losses under Maine law.

FRANKLIN SPORTS FACES THE LAWSUIT

Franklin Sports has not publicly responded to requests for comment from several news outlets as of the latest reports.

The allegations in the lawsuit have not been proven in court.

But for Lucy’s family, the legal action is about more than financial compensation.

Their attorneys say they want to hold the manufacturer accountable and push for changes that could prevent another family from experiencing the same nightmare.

Lucy went on vacation with her family expecting a happy summer day. A routine game of badminton ended with a broken racket, a catastrophic injury and the loss of a 6-year-old girl.

More than two years later, her family is still searching for answers — and hoping Lucy’s story can prevent another child from suffering the same fate.

Franklin Sports has been named in a wrongful-death lawsuit; the allegations remain unproven unless established in court.