NJ Girl ‘Impaled and Killed’ by Popular Summer Toy

A New Jersey family is suing a popular sporting goods company after their 6-year-old daughter was killed in a horrifying freak accident involving a badminton racket.

Lucy Morgan suffered a catastrophic brain injury when a racket broke apart during a family vacation in Maine, sending a sharp piece of aluminum through her skull.

Now, more than two years after the tragedy, Lucy’s parents say they want the manufacturer held responsible — and they hope their lawsuit will prevent another family from suffering the same nightmare.

Lucy was vacationing with her parents, Bethany and Jesse Morgan, and her three siblings at a lakeside cottage in Limerick, Maine, when the accident happened on June 1, 2024.

It was the final day of the family’s week-long getaway.

After lunch, some of the children went outside to play badminton. Lucy was sitting on the sidelines while her 10-year-old brother played when the racket suddenly came apart during a downward swing.

According to the family, the aluminum shaft separated from the handle and became a projectile.

The sharp piece struck Lucy in the head and penetrated her skull, causing a devastating brain injury.

Her father, Jesse Morgan, who is a pastor at Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, New Jersey, later described the terrifying moment in a blog post.

He said he suddenly heard screaming and discovered that a “sharp piece” from the broken racket had entered Lucy’s skull.

Lucy was unconscious and unresponsive after the accident.

She was rushed by helicopter to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where doctors performed emergency surgery in an attempt to relieve swelling on her brain.

During the operation, Lucy went into cardiac arrest.

Doctors were able to revive her, but her family was told that her chances of surviving were extremely poor.

Lucy died in the early morning hours of June 5, 2024, four days after the accident.

Her parents filed a lawsuit Monday against Franklin Sports, the Massachusetts-based company that manufactured the racket.

The lawsuit claims the racket was defective because the metal shaft was not adequately secured inside the handle.

According to the complaint, the racket lacked sufficient adhesive to keep the pieces connected, allowing the metal stem to break loose and become a dangerous projectile.

The family also alleges Franklin Sports failed to properly warn customers about the potential danger.

The badminton set had reportedly been provided by the rental cottage where the Morgans were staying.

Attorney Charles P. Hehmeyer, who represents the family, called Lucy’s death “a parent’s worst nightmare.”

“We are committed to obtaining justice for Lucy by holding Franklin Sports accountable,” Hehmeyer said. “We want to ensure these rackets are manufactured in a way where this type of tragedy never occurs again.”

Hehmeyer also claimed another child in New York previously lost an eye in an incident involving a Franklin badminton racket.

The attorney accused the company of failing to make what he described as a simple safety modification, such as placing a pin through the handle to prevent the shaft from coming free.

The lawsuit is seeking damages for funeral expenses, emotional distress, financial losses and the loss of Lucy’s comfort, companionship and society.

For the Morgan family, however, the case is about far more than money.

They say they want answers over how an ordinary children’s summer game could turn deadly — and changes that could prevent another family vacation from ending in unimaginable tragedy.