‘Parents’ Worst Nightmare’: Family Sues Company After 6-Year-Old Daughter Killed Playing Badminton

Little Lucy Morgan was playing badminton with her 10-year-old brother during an idyllic lakeside trip in Maine in June 2024 when the aluminum shaft of the racket came loose from his wooden handle, struck the girl in the head and pierced her skull.

The “bubbly” daughter of a New Jersey pastor died in the hospital four days later.

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Terrible accident!
Im trying to visualize how the metal handle piece came flying off while he was handling it during play.

Prayers to the family!

— sportsfan

(@hrm4449) August 19, 2026

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In all my years playing badminton and watching Tennis, I have never seen any part of a racquet detach and form a projectile – even when the racquet has been smashed on the ground forcibly by the player!

— Julian Osborne VR (@julesosborne) August 20, 2026

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This family deserves every bit of the financial recovery that’s coming their way. It came apart and created a sharp projectile when it was being used as intended. I remember praying that Lucy would recover when she was in the hospital. This picture of her family still haunts me.

— Foxfur1776 (@foxfur1776) August 19, 2026

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The lawsuit alleges that 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 where a child lost an eye when the racket separated.

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