Panera claims Charged Lemonade not responsible for woman’s heart attack

Update:

• Panera is requesting the dismissal of a complaint filed by the family of a 21-year-old college student who died after allegedly going into cardiac arrest after drinking the restaurant’s Charged Lemonade.
• Panera is accused of improperly marking the beverage and failing to warn its customers that it contained caffeine, contributing to the death of Sarah Katz, who allegedly avoided caffeine due to a congenital heart condition. 
• The restaurant argues Katz’s family has failed to provide factual allegations linking the consumption of its Charged Lemonade to her death. 
• Panera also claims its Charged Lemonade beverage is conspicuously labeled as containing caffeine and that Katz was aware the product was caffeinated prior to consuming it.

Panera Charged Lemonade death lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Jill and Michael Katz have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Panera Bread Co. 
• Why: The Katzs claim their 21-year-old daughter Sarah Katz died after consuming the restaurant’s Panera Charged Lemonade and subsequently suffering cardiac arrest last September. 
• Where: The lawsuit was filed in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. 

(Oct. 31, 2023)

The parents of a deceased 21-year-old college student with a diagnosed heart problem claim their daughter’s death was caused by her consumption of Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade caffeinated beverage. 

Jill and Michael Katz claim their daughter Sarah Katz — who was diagnosed with a heart condition as a child — suffered two cardiac arrests and died after consuming the beverage in September 2022. 

The Katzes argue Panera failed to warn its customers that its Charged Lemonade drink contained potentially dangerous stimulants, including sugar and guarana, among other things.

“Consumers are not provided a factual basis for understanding it is an energy drink containing exorbitant amounts of caffeine, caffeine sources, stimulants, and sugar,” the Panera lawsuit states. 

Panera should have known to advertise Charged Lemonade as energy drink, suit says

The Katzes claim Panera did not market or advertise its Charged Lemonade beverage as an energy drink, but rather as a product that is “Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast Coffee.”

The plaintiffs argue further that their daughter would have abstained from consuming the beverage had she known it was an energy drink and contained as much caffeine as it actually did. 

“Defendants knew or should have known that failing to advertise the Panera Charged Lemonade as an energy drink increased the risk of causing permanent and catastrophic injuries to consumers,” the Panera lawsuit states. 

The Katzes claim Panera is guilty of breach of express warranty, wrongful death, negligence, misrepresentation and strict products liability. They are demanding a jury trial and requesting an award of compensatory and punitive damages. 

A class action lawsuit was filed against Panera in February over claims the restaurant falsely advertised free, $1 or flat-fee delivery for deliveries made through its website and mobile app, despite allegedly tacking on hidden fees. 

Do you think Panera bears responsibility for the death of Sarah Katz? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Thomas R. Kline, Elizabeth A. Crawford and Michelle A. Paznokas of Kline & Specter PC.

The Panera Charged Lemonade death lawsuit is Katz, et al. v. Panera Bread Co., Case No. 2:23-cv-04135, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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