Family sues after 6-year-old girl dies when badminton racket shaft pierces skull

The family of a 6-year-old New Jersey girl who died after a badminton racket came apart and pierced her skull during a Maine vacation is suing the Massachusetts-based maker of the sports equipment.

"This case represents a parent’s worst nightmare," Attorney Charles P. Hehmeyer, who is representing the family, said. "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 wrongful death and product-liability lawsuit alleges Franklin Sports sold a defective and unreasonably dangerous badminton racket that failed during normal use and turned its metal shaft into a projectile.

Lucy Morgan was vacationing with her parents and siblings in Limerick, Maine, on June 1, 2024, when the tragedy unfolded.

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Maine State Police said Lucy’s 10-year-old brother was playing outside when the aluminum shaft became dislodged from the wooden handle. The shaft struck Lucy in the head and pierced her skull, authorities said.

Lucy was taken to Southern Maine Health Care in Sanford before being airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she died June 5, 2024, police said.

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According to a copy of the complaint reviewed by WCVB 5, the Franklin badminton set had been supplied at the family’s rental cottage.

The lawsuit alleges the racket’s handle and metal shaft were not adequately secured, the adhesive joining the pieces was defective or insufficient, and the design lacked a secondary restraint that could have prevented the metal portion from flying free. The family also alleges Franklin Sports failed to warn consumers about the risk.

Hehmeyer told WCVB 5 that the case was not Franklin Sports’ first issue involving a racket separating. He said a child in New York lost an eye when a racket came apart, and alleged the company knew of that case but failed to make a fix.

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"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 told the outlet.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, though it does not list a specific dollar figure. The family is seeking funeral expenses, emotional distress damages, loss of comfort, society and companionship, and other relief permitted under Maine law.

According to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE , Lucy’s three siblings witnessed the incident and suffered "severe emotional distress." Her parents heard her screaming and ran to her aid, the complaint alleges.

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Lucy’s father, Jesse Morgan, a pastor at Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, New Jersey, previously wrote that the family had been spending its final full day at a lake cottage when the children decided to play badminton in the front yard.

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In the days following Lucy’s death, Jesse Morgan shared the faith that sustained his family through their grief. He told Fox News Digital that a friend returned Lucy’s backpack after the family came home from Maine, and inside was the prayer journal she had received about a month before she died. The journal contained drawings, Bible-themed notes and messages about her belief in God, her father said.

Jesse Morgan told Fox News Digital he had no doubt Lucy "loved Christ and loved God," and that God welcomed her into heaven. He described discovering the journal as one of the "most beautiful gifts" amid the family’s loss, adding that he believed his daughter had "the faith of a mustard seed."

Fox News Digital reached out to Franklin Sports and attorneys for the Morgan family for comment.

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

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