Panera Bread has been hit by lawsuits after people drank highly-caffeinated Charged Lemonade and suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.
Need a Texas Panera Charged Lemonade Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you were injured or a loved one died after drinking Charged Lemonade from Panera Bread, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
UPDATE: Panera Stops Selling Charged Lemonade
In May 2024, facing multiple wrongful death lawsuits involving caffeine toxicity, Panera announced that it would discontinue the Charged Lemonade beverages at its stores nationwide.
What is the Problem?
Customers at Panera Bread may be shocked to learn that a cup of the popular Charged Lemonade beverage contains more caffeine than a can of Red Bull and Monster Energy combined.
How Much Caffeine Is In Charged Lemonade?
One 20-oz. cup of Charged Lemonade has 260 milligrams of caffeine, and the 30-oz. cup has 390 milligrams. The FDA recommends a daily maximum limit of 400 milligrams of caffeine for healthy adults.
The problem is that customers are saying they had no idea how much caffeine was in Charged Lemonade because it was sold at Panera side-by-side with non-caffeinated juices, regular lemonade, and less-caffeinated sodas and root beer — without any warning labels.
Charged Lemonade Lawsuits Filed After 2 People Died
Two wrongful death lawsuits were filed against Panera Bread in October and December 2023, both involving people who accidentally drank multiple cups of Charged Lemonade and died of cardiac arrest.
These lawsuits accuse Panera of failing to warn consumers about the excessive amounts of caffeine in Charged Lemonade, and selling it in a self-serve soda fountain next to regular beverages without warnings.
Ultimate Sip Club Encourages Refills of Charged Lemonade
Both customers who died were also part of Panera’s “Ultimate Sip Club,” which allows unlimited refills. Unfortunately, just one refill of a full cup of Charged Lemonade would greatly exceed the FDA’s daily recommended limit for caffeine.
Dangerous Amounts of Caffeine in Deadly Lemonade
According to lawsuits, another danger is that employees at Panera mix the ingredients for Charged Lemonade in-house, which adds to the risk if they make a mistake in the concentration level for caffeine.
Accidentally drinking too much caffeine in Charged Lemonade is particularly dangerous for people with heart conditions, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, and other people who are sensitive to the side effects of a caffeine overdose.
What is the Risk?
Caffeine overdoses can cause severe health problems, such as:
- Cardiac arrest
- Heart attack
- Seizures
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Coma
- Death
1st Wrongful Death Lawsuit for Charged Lemonade
The first wrongful death lawsuit was filed in October 2023 by the parents of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old student with a heart problem who died of a cardiac arrest after drinking Charged Lemonade.
According to the lawsuit, she never intentionally drank energy drinks because she had been diagnosed with an abnormal heart rhythm called Long QT Type 1 Syndrome (LQT1) when she was 5 years old.
Her lawsuit claims that she accidentally drank Charged Lemonade because she did not know that it was highly-caffeinated. Soon after, she tragically suffered a cardiac arrest and ultimately died.
The lawsuit was filed on October 23, 2023 in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County — Case Number 231002242.
2nd Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Panera Bread
In December 2023, another wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the family of a 46-year-old man from Florida who died of a cardiac arrest after drinking three cups of Charged Lemonade in a row.
According to the lawsuit, he suffered from high blood pressure and normally avoided energy drinks. The lawsuit claims that he accidentally drank Charged Lemonade because he did not realize that it contained excessive amounts of caffeine and sugar.
His lawsuit was filed on December 2, 2023 in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware — Case Number N23C-12-001 JRJ.
Need a Panera Charged Lemonade Lawyer in Texas?
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