PHILADELPHIA, PA — A lawsuit filed Monday in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas claims that Panera Bread’s misleading labeling and “in-house” preparation of its “Charged Lemonade” beverage led to the death of 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz.
Katz experienced two cardiac arrests after consuming the drink and later died. The suit was filed by her parents, represented by Attorney Elizabeth Crawford. Katz had a pre-existing heart condition known as long QT syndrome, or LQT1, diagnosed at five, which can result in life-threatening irregular heartbeats.
The lawsuit argues that Panera failed to label the Charged Lemonade as an energy drink adequately. Instead, it was marketed on Panera’s website as “Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee.” Crawford stated that the amount of the beverage consumed by Katz before her death is unknown but pointed out that one large size of the Charged Lemonade contains more caffeine than a 12-oz Red Bull and a 16-oz Monster Energy Drink combined.
The goal of the lawsuit is to make consumers, particularly those sensitive to caffeine, aware that the Charged Lemonade is an energy drink, said Crawford.
The lawsuit cites that “Energy drinks have been shown to adversely affect the heart’s rhythm in patients with long QT Syndrome; they should be avoided in long QT patients.”
Further adding to the controversy is the lawsuit’s claim that Panera’s “in-house” preparation of the Charged Lemonade enhances the possibility of its caffeine content varying, rendering the beverage inherently risky.
The Katz family is seeking an unspecified amount in damages but emphasized that their primary objective is to prevent a similar incident from happening to anyone else. Panera Bread has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
