Family of girl who died in freak badminton accident in Maine sues racket manufacturer

Executive Producer

Multimedia Journalist

LIMERICK, Maine —

The family of a 6-year-old girl who died in a freak badminton accident in Limerick, Maine, in 2024 is now suing the company that made the racket she was using.

In June 2024, Lucy Morgan of New Jersey was on vacation with her family and playing badminton with her 10-year-old brother at a home on North Shore Drive in Limerick when the aluminum shaft of her badminton racquet became dislodged from the wooden handle, causing the shaft to strike the girl in the head, piercing her skull.

Morgan was flown to MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she died four days after the accident.

Lucy Morgan was the daughter of Jesse Morgan, a pastor at Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, New Jersey.

On Monday, the family, working with attorneys at Berman & Simmons in Maine, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Franklin Sports, the Massachusetts-based company that made the racket, in court in York County.

The complaint says the badminton set had been provided with the family’s rental cottage.

The lawsuit alleges the racket was defective and unreasonably dangerous because the handle and metal stem were not adequately secured, the adhesive connecting them was defective, and the racket lacked a secondary restraint that would prevent the metal portion of the racket from becoming a projectile if the connection failed.

The complaint also alleges that Franklin Sports failed to adequately warn consumers about the risk of the metal stem separating from the racket during ordinary use.

“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. 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,” said attorney Charles P. Hehmeyer.

Hehmeyer said this was not the first issue involving a Franklin Sports racket. He said there was a previous case in New York in which a child lost an eye when the racket separated.

“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 lawyers for the family say Lucy Morgan’s three siblings saw her get hurt and her parents heard her screaming and ran to help.

The lawsuit seeks damages including funeral expenses; pecuniary loss; emotional distress; loss of comfort, society and companionship, and other available damages.