Panera Bread has been sued by the parents of a 21-year-old girl who died in September 2022 after consuming a lemon energy drink called Charged Lemonade in one of its establishments located in Philadelphia.
The victim, Sarah Katz, suffered from a heart disease known as long QT syndrome (LQTS), a disorder in the body's electrical system that controls heart rate. She had been under treatment since she was 5 years old and had to monitor her caffeine consumption, according to her parents.
Katz suffered her first cardiac arrest on the premises of Panera Bread. She managed to be resuscitated but, during her transfer to the hospital, she suffered a second cardiorespiratory failure and died. The autopsy report revealed that the woman had an arrhythmia related to her illness after consuming the drink.
Parents allege that Panera Bread was negligent
According to Panera Bread's website, Charged Lemonade contains caffeine, green coffee extract, and guarana extract. Katz’s parents allege in the lawsuit that Panera Bread was negligent because the drink was not properly labeled and the amount of caffeine the drink contains was not detailed.
In addition, they noted that Charged Lemonade is a drink prepared by employees in the store, so "its caffeine content is not controlled and, in turn, has an innate and dangerous potential to vary." They demand compensatory damages and sanctions against Panera Bread.
"[Sarah was] reasonably confident it was a traditional lemonade and/or electrolyte sports drink containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for her to drink," her family noted. In a statement reported by CNN, the restaurant chain expressed condolences over death of the young woman and confirmed that it will investigate the case:
We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.
