The family of a six-year-old girl who died after a badminton racket disintegrated and its metal shaft pierced her skull is suing Massachusetts-based manufacturer Franklin Sports for wrongful death and product liability. Lucy Morgan was struck while her 10-year-old brother was playing with the racket during a family holiday in Limerick, Maine, in June 2024, and the case has drawn attention because the family's lawyer alleges the company knew of a similar prior incident but failed to fix the design flaw.

The lawsuit claims the racket's wooden handle and aluminium shaft were inadequately secured, the adhesive bonding them was defective, and the design lacked a safeguard to stop the metal piece detaching. Lucy was airlifted to Maine Medical Center after the incident on 1 June 2024 but died four days later. Her lawyer said a similar case in New York had reportedly resulted in a child losing an eye, and argued a simple, low-cost fix such as a pin could have prevented the tragedy. The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, including funeral costs and emotional distress, though no specific figure has been given; Lucy's three siblings witnessed the incident.