In the fall of 2022, tragedy struck when a 21-year-old woman with a pre-existing heart condition unfortunately died after ingesting a high-caffeine beverage at Panera Bread restaurant. Her unsuspecting parents have now taken legal action for wrongful death against the restaurant chain, suspecting that their daughter, Sarah Katz, may have been led to believe that the drink she consumed was ordinary lemonade.
Sarah Katz experienced a sudden cardiac arrest after consuming what Panera’s menu refers to as ‘Charged Lemonade’. Sadly, her condition deteriorated further after being rushed to the hospital, where she sustained a second cardiac arrest. Subsequent to her untimely demise, her grieving parents filed a lawsuit on a Monday morning in Philadelphia, demanding both compensatory and punitive damages.
Panera Bread, deeply saddened by the turn of events, extended their heartfelt condolences to Sarah’s family. The company expressed their strong commitment to the catalyst of such an issue, vowing to launch an expansive investigation into the chain of events that led to this unfortunate situation.
An autopsy report pertaining to Sarah revealed that her cause of death was a cardiac arrhythmia triggered by long QT syndrome (LQTS), a disorder known to spark dangerously irregular heart rhythms. Sarah had been diagnosed with this condition at a fairly young age and had been managing her symptoms with medication and a careful limitation of caffeine.
The ‘Charged Lemonade’ in question, like most energy drinks, contains high quantities of caffeine, added sugars, B-vitamins and several other legal stimulants. Health experts have repeatedly cautioned the dangers of young individuals consuming energy drinks. The consequential health risks include dehydration, heart failure, and irregular heartbeats; with those suffering from pre-existing heart conditions, like Sarah, being more prone to these hazardous effects.
However, Sarah seemingly believed that the drink that she consumed was either traditional lemonade or a sports drink, containing only a safe quantity of caffeine. The lawsuit posits that Panera Bread failed to accurately categorise and label ‘Charged Lemonade’ as an energy drink, leading to misleading information for consumers.
Panera’s marketing communication suggests their ‘Charged Lemonade’ is a plant-based product with caffeine content similar to their Dark Roast Coffee, leaving consumers clueless about the accurate caffeine content. Moreover, the caffeine quantity in their ‘Charged Lemonade’ is mixed by individual store employees, rendering the consistency and control over the drink’s potency unstandardised and inherently unpredictable, according to the lawsuit.
Elizabeth Crawford, attorney representing Sarah’s parents, further revealed that Sarah partook from a large-size beverage cup under Panera’s free in-store refill scheme, making it impossible to track her exact caffeine consumption. Crawford outlined their intent to ensure that Panera either provides clear warnings or altogether removes the ‘Charged Lemonade’ from their offering to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.
