What Is the Franklin Sports Badminton Racket Lawsuit?
The Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit is a wrongful death and product liability case filed by the family of 6-year-old Lucy Morgan against the sporting goods maker Franklin Sports, Inc., not a class action, MDL, or recall-based case.
Jesse Morgan, Lucy's father, brought the case, captioned Morgan v. Franklin Sports, Inc., as administrator of Lucy's estate and as parent and next friend of her three siblings. The family filed it in a Maine state court in August 2026, more than two years after Lucy died on June 5, 2024, following an accident during a family vacation in Limerick, Maine.
Two attorneys, Travis M. Brennan and Charles P. Hehmeyer of the Maine law firm Berman & Simmons, represent the family. Every description of the accident on this page comes from the family's complaint, from statements by the family's lawyers, or from Maine State Police as reported by the press, and none of it has been tested or decided by a court.
“Lucy died on June 5, 2024, at MMC from the brain injury caused by the shaft of the Franklin Sports badminton racket that separated from its handle during normal play among children volleying a badminton birdie.”
Source: Complaint, Morgan v. Franklin Sports, Inc., Maine Superior Court, York County (electronically filed August 17, 2026), Summary of the Complaint.
Why Was the Franklin Sports Badminton Racket Lawsuit Filed?
The Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit was filed because the Morgan family alleges a Franklin badminton racket broke during ordinary play and caused Lucy's death, and that the racket's design and warnings were inadequate.
According to the complaint, the Morgan family spent the last day of a vacation at a rental lake house in Limerick, Maine, on June 1, 2024. Lucy's older siblings were playing badminton in the front yard with a Franklin set that came with the rental, while Lucy and her younger brother watched nearby. The complaint alleges that, mid swing, the head and metal neck of one racket came loose from its handle and struck Lucy in the temple. Maine State Police described the injury as unintentional, and Lucy died four days later at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
The complaint's product theory has three parts. It alleges the handle and metal stem were not adequately secured, that the adhesive connecting them was defective, and that the racket lacked a secondary restraint that would keep the metal portion from becoming a projectile if the connection failed. It also alleges Franklin Sports failed to warn consumers that the metal stem could separate during ordinary use.
Press reports describe an aluminum shaft separating from a wooden handle, according to Maine State Police, but none of the coverage reviewed identifies the specific racket model or the name of the set.
What Harms Does the Franklin Sports Badminton Racket Lawsuit Allege?
The Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit alleges three distinct harms: the death of Lucy Morgan, the pain and suffering Lucy endured before she died, and the emotional distress her three siblings suffered after witnessing the accident. The complaint pleads these harms through its wrongful death and survival claims and seeks the damages Maine law permits.
Wrongful Death
A wrongful death claim is a civil claim, brought by a representative of someone who has died, alleging that another party's fault caused the death.
The complaint pleads wrongful death on behalf of Lucy's estate and alleges that the racket's defective and unreasonably dangerous condition was the direct and proximate cause of her death. The family seeks funeral expenses, pecuniary loss, and loss of comfort, society, and companionship, along with other damages that Maine law allows.
The wrongful death claim appears alongside strict liability, negligence, and breach of warranty claims, which describe how the family says Franklin Sports is responsible rather than what harm resulted. Strict liability generally lets an injured person recover for a defective product without proving the maker was careless, while negligence generally requires proof of a lapse in reasonable care, and the exact standards depend on Maine law.
Survival Claim
A survival claim is a civil claim that lets a person's estate pursue the compensation that person could have sought for their own injuries had they lived.
The survival claim in the complaint covers the pain and suffering Lucy is alleged to have experienced between the accident and her death. Lucy's estate holds that claim, and Jesse Morgan sues on the estate's behalf as its administrator.
Emotional Distress of the Siblings
Emotional distress, as a legal claim, refers to serious mental suffering for which a person seeks compensation, including after seeing harm happen to a family member.
The complaint alleges Lucy's three siblings witnessed the accident and suffered severe emotional distress, and the lawsuit seeks damages on their behalf, with Jesse Morgan acting as their parent and next friend. The complaint also states Lucy's parents heard her screaming and came to her aid, and Maine Public reported the family seeks compensation for emotional distress suffered by both her parents and her siblings.
What Is the Current Status of the Franklin Sports Badminton Racket Lawsuit?
The current status of the Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit is a newly filed state-court case at an early stage, with no ruling, trial date, or settlement reported as of October 22, 2026.
Morgan v. Franklin Sports, Inc.
Morgan v. Franklin Sports, Inc. is pending in the Maine Superior Court for York County, where the electronic filing stamp on the complaint shows August 17, 2026. No docket number appears on the copy of the complaint reviewed, and no report reviewed identifies the assigned judge, a hearing date, or a response filed by Franklin Sports in court. Searches also found no federal filing or removal of the case to federal court.
| Court | Maine Superior Court, York County (state court) |
| Case Number | Not shown on the complaint copy reviewed |
| Filed | August 17, 2026 |
| Plaintiffs | Jesse Morgan, as administrator of the Estate of Lucy L. Morgan and as parent and next friend of three minor children |
| Defendant | Franklin Sports, Inc. |
| Claims | Strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, wrongful death, survival |
| Relief Sought | Compensatory and punitive damages, no dollar amount stated |
| Case Type | Individual wrongful death and product liability action, not a class action or MDL |
Was the Franklin Sports Badminton Racket Lawsuit Settled?
No, the Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit has not been settled, and no settlement amount has been reported as of October 22, 2026.
The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages without stating a dollar amount, according to press reports, so no figure exists to estimate what the case might be worth. Any outcome would depend on the evidence, on Maine law, and on whether the case ends by agreement or at trial, and only a qualified attorney reviewing the records can say more.
Compensatory damages in a wrongful death case generally compensate for losses such as funeral expenses and the loss of a family member's comfort, society, and companionship, the categories the Morgan family lists. Punitive damages are a separate remedy meant to punish especially serious misconduct, and courts generally require a higher showing for them than for compensatory damages.
Because this is one family's lawsuit, there is no class settlement fund, claims deadline, or claims process for other people to join.
Franklin Sports Badminton Racket Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
Here is the current status of the Franklin Sports Badminton Racket lawsuit, updated with new filings, rulings, and case-count reports as they're confirmed. The Morgan v. Franklin Sports, Inc. case continues in active pretrial proceedings as of October 2026, with no global settlement reached. See the full timeline below for every confirmed development since the litigation began.
Franklin Sports Badminton Racket Lawsuit Timeline of Events
Franklin Sports Issues a Public Statement
Franklin Sports said it extends its deepest sympathies to Lucy Morgan's family, cannot comment on the specific allegations while litigation is pending, and is carefully reviewing the circumstances of the incident, in a statement reported by the Boston Globe and other outlets.
Berman & Simmons Announces the Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The Maine law firm Berman & Simmons announced the Morgan family's lawsuit against Franklin Sports, Inc., with attorneys Travis M. Brennan and Charles P. Hehmeyer saying the family wants Franklin Sports held accountable and wants these rackets made so this type of tragedy never occurs again.
Maine Outlets Begin Reporting the Filing
Maine Public, the Bangor Daily News, and the Portland Press Herald reported that the Morgan family had sued Franklin Sports in York County Superior Court, and the Bangor Daily News described the suit as seeking unspecified damages for funeral expenses and emotional distress.
The Morgan Family Files Suit in York County Superior Court
Jesse Morgan, as administrator of Lucy's estate and as parent and next friend of her three siblings, electronically filed a complaint against Franklin Sports, Inc. in the Maine Superior Court for York County, pleading strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, wrongful death, and survival claims.
Lucy Morgan Dies at Maine Medical Center
Lucy Morgan died on June 5, 2024 at Maine Medical Center in Portland, four days after the accident, having been taken first to Southern Maine Health Care in Sanford and then flown to Portland, according to Maine State Police.
A Badminton Racket Separates During Play in Limerick, Maine
The complaint alleges that on June 1, 2024, the head and metal neck of a Franklin badminton racket came loose from its handle during a game at the Morgan family's rental lake house in Limerick, Maine, and struck Lucy Morgan in the head, an injury Maine State Police described as unintentional.
What Did Franklin Sports Allegedly Know About the Badminton Racket Defect?
The complaint alleges Franklin Sports knew a Franklin badminton racket had separated before and chose not to correct the problem. Attorney Charles P. Hehmeyer said a racket shaft had already caused a child in New York to lose an eye, and that a pin in the handle, a fix he said would cost pennies, could have kept the shaft attached. The New York incident is the family's attorney's allegation, and no court record, case name, or independent report confirming it turned up in the research for this page.
Franklin Sports, a Massachusetts-based company, has answered only with a public statement. It says it takes concerns about its products very seriously, is committed to product quality and safety, and cannot comment on the specific allegations because litigation is pending.
A search of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall database for Franklin Sports returned no recall of a badminton racket as of October 22, 2026. The only Franklin Sports recalls listed there date from 1988 and 1989 and involve lawn darts and baseball and soccer training sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit about?
The Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit is a wrongful death case in which the family of 6-year-old Lucy Morgan alleges a Franklin badminton racket broke during ordinary play on June 1, 2024 in Limerick, Maine, and led to her death four days later. The family sued Franklin Sports, Inc. in August 2026, and none of the allegations has been tested in court.
Is the Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit a class action or MDL?
No, the Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit is neither a class action nor an MDL. It is one family's wrongful death and product liability case in a Maine state court, so no class of other claimants exists to join.
Has the Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit settled?
No, the Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit has not settled as of October 22, 2026. The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages without a stated dollar amount, and no settlement figure has been reported.
Where was the Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit filed?
The Franklin Sports badminton racket lawsuit was filed on August 17, 2026 in the Maine Superior Court for York County, a state court. Searches found no federal filing or removal to federal court.
What does the lawsuit say was wrong with the badminton racket?
The lawsuit says the badminton racket was defective because its handle and metal stem were not adequately secured, the adhesive joining them was defective, and no secondary restraint would stop the metal portion from becoming a projectile if the connection failed. It also says Franklin Sports failed to warn that the stem could separate during ordinary use.
Has Franklin Sports recalled its badminton rackets?
No, no recall of a Franklin badminton racket appears in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall database as of October 22, 2026. Franklin Sports has said only that it is carefully reviewing the circumstances of the incident.