Franklin Sports Badminton Racket Lawsuit, What the Morgan Family’s Wrongful Death Case Alleges

A family from Stockholm, New Jersey, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Franklin Sports, Inc., after their 6-year-old daughter, Lucy Morgan, died from injuries caused by a badminton racket that came apart during ordinary play. The lawsuit, filed August 17, 2026, in York County Superior Court in Maine, says the racket was defective and that Franklin Sports knew about the risk and failed to warn consumers.

What Happened to Lucy Morgan

On June 1, 2024, the Morgan family was spending the last day of a vacation at a lake house in Limerick, Maine. Lucy’s older siblings were playing badminton in the front yard while she and her younger brother watched from the sideline. As one sibling swung the racket, the metal shaft separated from the wooden handle and struck Lucy in the temple, piercing her skull.

Lucy’s parents heard screaming and reached her within seconds. She was taken first to a hospital in Sanford, then airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where doctors worked to save her. She died four days later.

This is a genuinely difficult story to read, and it doesn’t need embellishment. The facts alone are what make this a product liability case worth understanding.

What the Lawsuit Claims

The badminton set had come with the family’s rental cottage — it wasn’t something the Morgans brought themselves. The complaint alleges the racket was “defective and unreasonably dangerous” for three specific reasons: the handle and metal stem weren’t adequately secured, the adhesive holding them together was defective, and the racket had no secondary restraint that would have kept the metal piece from becoming a projectile if the connection failed.

The lawsuit also alleges Franklin Sports failed to warn consumers about the risk of the metal stem separating during normal use. That’s a distinct legal claim from the design defect itself — even if a product carries some risk, a manufacturer can still be liable for not telling people about it.

Franklin Sports Has Faced This Before

According to the family’s attorneys, this isn’t the first time a Franklin Sports badminton racket has caused a serious injury. Attorney Charles Hehmeyer said a child in New York previously lost an eye to the same type of racket, and that the company chose not to fix the design with something as simple as a pin in the handle — a fix he said would cost pennies per unit.

If that’s accurate, it becomes one of the more important facts in this case. A single defective unit is one thing. A known, recurring failure mode that a company allegedly declined to fix cheaply is a very different legal argument — it goes to whether Franklin Sports had notice of the danger and chose not to act on it.

What Is the Morgan Family Seeking?

The lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of Lucy’s estate and her three siblings, who witnessed the accident. Requested damages include funeral expenses, pecuniary loss, emotional distress, and loss of comfort, society, and companionship — legal terms for the specific ways a family’s life is upended when they lose a child. The family is also seeking punitive damages, which are meant to punish a company’s conduct rather than simply compensate the family’s losses.

Franklin Sports has not publicly responded to the lawsuit as of this writing.

What This Means If You Have a Franklin Sports Badminton Set

If you own a Franklin Sports badminton set with a metal-and-wood racket design, it’s worth inspecting the connection between the shaft and handle before your kids use it again. Look for any looseness, gaps, or give where the two pieces meet. There’s no confirmed recall tied to this lawsuit as of this writing, so this is a precaution based on the allegations in the complaint — not a confirmed product-wide defect.

Frequently Asked Questions

What racket brand is involved in Lucy Morgan’s death?

 Franklin Sports, Inc., a Massachusetts-based sporting goods company. The badminton set was provided with the family’s rental cottage in Limerick, Maine.

Where was the lawsuit filed? 

York County Superior Court in Biddeford, Maine, on August 17, 2026. It’s a state civil case, not a class action.

Is this a class action other families can join? 

No. This is an individual wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of the Morgan family. If you or your child were injured by a similar Franklin Sports product, you’d need to consult your own attorney about a separate claim.

Has Franklin Sports recalled the badminton racket involved?

 Not as of this writing. No recall has been reported in connection with this lawsuit.

What is the family asking the court to award? 

Compensatory damages including funeral expenses and emotional distress, plus punitive damages. The complaint doesn’t specify a dollar amount.

Who is representing the Morgan family? 

Attorneys Travis M. Brennan and Charles P. Hehmeyer of Berman & Simmons, a Lewiston, Maine-based law firm.

Sources

• Berman & Simmons — Wrongful Death Lawsuit Press Release, August 19, 2026: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/berman–simmons-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit-against-franklin-sports-following-death-of-6-year-old-girl-while-on-a-maine-family-vacation-302855273.html
• Portland Press Herald — Family of girl, 6, killed in Limerick badminton racket accident files wrongful death lawsuit, August 18, 2026: https://www.pressherald.com/2026/08/18/family-of-girl-killed-in-limerick-badminton-racket-accident-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit/
• Maine Public — Family of girl killed by badminton racquet files wrongful death suit, August 18, 2026: https://www.mainepublic.org/maine/2026-08-18/family-of-girl-killed-by-badminton-racquet-files-wrongful-death-suit

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the Berman & Simmons press release and independent news coverage on August 20, 2026. Last Updated: August 20, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice about a specific injury or legal matter, consult a qualified attorney.