Lawsuit claims badminton racket maker ignored danger before girl’s tragic death

Key Points:

• A 6-year-old New Jersey girl, Lucy Morgan, died after a badminton racket made by Franklin Sports came apart and pierced her skull during a family vacation in Maine, prompting a wrongful death and product-liability lawsuit against the company.
• The lawsuit alleges the racket was defectively designed, with an inadequately secured metal shaft that became a dangerous projectile during normal use, and that Franklin Sports failed to warn consumers or fix known issues despite prior incidents.
• Lucy’s 10-year-old brother witnessed the accident, and her three siblings suffered severe emotional distress; the family is seeking compensatory and punitive damages including funeral expenses and emotional distress relief under Maine law.
• Franklin Sports expressed condolences but declined to comment on the lawsuit specifics, stating they take product safety seriously and are reviewing the incident, while the family’s attorney criticized the company for not implementing simple safety fixes despite prior knowledge of similar dangers.
• Lucy’s father, a pastor, shared that his daughter’s faith was a source of comfort for the family, highlighting a prayer journal she kept that contained Bible-themed notes and drawings discovered after her death.