Family of 6-year-old New Jersey girl files wrongful-death suit against badminton racket maker
Lucy Morgan's family has sued Franklin Sports, alleging a defective badminton racket caused the child’s fatal head injury during a vacation in Maine.
During a lakeside vacation in Maine in June 2024, six-year-old Lucy Morgan was playing badminton with her older brother when the aluminum shaft of a Franklin Sports racket came loose from its wooden handle and pierced her skull. Despite emergency responders’ efforts and an airlift to a Portland hospital, she died from loss of brain function. Her family, represented by attorney Charles P. Hehmeyer of Berman & Simmons, filed a wrongful-death action against the Massachusetts-based manufacturer, alleging a design defect, inadequate adhesive, and a failure to warn about the risk.
The complaint also cites a previous incident in New York where a child lost an eye to a similar racket, accusing the company of ignoring a simple safety fix. The suit seeks damages for funeral expenses, pecuniary loss, emotional distress, loss of companionship and other available remedies. Lucy’s father, Jesse Morgan, serves as pastor at Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, New Jersey.
Why it matters
The case underscores the importance of product safety standards and corporate responsibility for consumer injuries.
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