Panera Bread is facing multiple lawsuits from the families of two people who died after drinking their Charged Lemonade, a product that contains high levels of caffeine.
The first lawsuit was filed by the parents of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania, who had a congenital heart condition and passed away in September 2022.
The second lawsuit was filed by the family of Dennis Brown, a 46-year-old man from Florida, who drank three of the drinks and suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in October 2023.
According to this latest suit, Brown, who suffered from high blood pressure, generally avoided drinking significant amounts of caffeine and did not consume energy drinks as a rule. Known to frequently stop by the Panera Bread after his shifts at a supermarket, Brown was also diagnosed with an unspecified chromosomal disorder, developmental delay, and intellectual disability, said the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by Philadelphia-based law firm Kline & Specter, PC, which also represents the family in the case of Sarah Katz.
Both lawsuits allege that Panera failed to warn customers about the risks of consuming the drink, which has more caffeine than four cups of coffee. Panera has updated the warning for its Charged Lemonade products following the first lawsuit but has not commented on the second one.
Brown was also a part of the ” Unlimited Sip Club,” that allows patrons who pay a subscription fee to refill drinks at no cost. The highly caffeinated drink was included in this membership.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Panera Bread denied any wrongdoing, saying; “Panera expresses our deep sympathy for Mr. Brown’s family,” but that, based on its investigation, the company believes “his unfortunate passing was not caused by one of the company’s products.”
“We view this lawsuit, which was filed by the same law firm as a previous claim, to be equally without merit. Panera stands firmly by the safety of our products,” it continued.
