Panera Charged Lemonade Lawsuit Settled: What You Need to Know

When you go out to eat, you probably expect a relaxing time where you can enjoy some good food, take a break from work, or even spend quality time with friends and family. However, unsafe food products that could cause serious health issues are not part of that expectation. Unfortunately, several Panera Bread customers encountered these unexpected dangers. One of the four pending lawsuits concerning Panera’s charged lemonade, involving a young Ivy League student, was recently settled out of court.

The lawsuit in question concerns Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old student from the University of Pennsylvania. In September 2022, Katz visited her local Panera Bread to enjoy a meal and drink. Unaware that her drink contained stimulants like caffeine, sugar, and guarana extract, she consumed it, which affected her pre-existing heart condition. Due to a lack of proper signage and awareness, Katz partook in the drink and later succumbed to cardiac arrest stemming from her condition. 

What Led to the Panera Charged Lemonade Lawsuit 

Katz was born with a heart condition known as Long QT Syndrome, which could trigger fast, chaotic heart rhythms. Following the advice of her doctor, Katz made a great effort to avoid consuming anything with excess caffeine or other stimulants. 

Katz’s family believes she understood the word “charged” to mean loaded with electrolytes, not caffeine. The lawsuit documents state that Panera’s charged lemonade lacked any serious warnings and was self-served alongside typical beverages. As a result of these oversights, Katz served herself some charged lemonade.

According to her roommate and family, she went into cardiac arrest just hours after visiting the restaurant.

In addition to this lawsuit, there are three other pending suits, all overseen by Elizabeth Crawford, a Philidelphia-based attorney. Other charged lemonade lawsuits have stemmed from similar wrongful deaths or life-long severe injuries caused by the beverage.  

Panera’s Response to the Incident

Panera responded to the injuries and deaths caused by charged lemonade by taking unique action. After Sarah Katz’s death, they released a statement expressing that they were “very saddened to learn about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz” and vowed to “thoroughly investigate this matter.”

Ultimately, Panera removed the drink from their menu, claiming it was part of a “recent menu transformation.” The company has not made a statement connecting their menu changes to the lawsuits. Before removing the product, Panera moved the drinks behind the counter and started applying more apparent warnings to them.

What Made Panera Charged Lemonade So Deadly? 

When most people heard the term “charged lemonade,” they likely thought it had more electrolytes or was akin to other popular energy drinks. Unfortunately, upon further investigation of the ingredients that went into the drink, it is clear that it had the potential to be very dangerous. 

Within a 30-ounce charged lemonade, there was around 390 mg of caffeine. The Mayo Clinic recommends an absolute maximum of 400 mg for a healthy adult. The dangers become even more apparent when paired with the nearly 30 teaspoons of sugar in a large drink. Even further, reports later revealed that charged lemonades contained guarana extract, a stimulant that could amplify the effects of caffeine.

Thus, even for a healthy adult, the presence of three major stimulants in high quantities made the drink relatively dangerous. 

Panera Charged Lemonade Lawsuit Settled 

Following the tragic incident, Katz’s family worked with attorney Elizabeth Crawford to file a wrongful death lawsuit. The suit laid out essential details concerning the drink’s risks, deceiving advertising, and availability to customers. Paired with Crawford’s other suits, Panera was facing some serious legal trouble. 

Initially, Panera filed for the case dismissal, but the judge ultimately declined the motion. Elizabeth Crawford stated that the suit involving Sarah Katz has settled outside of court. When asked for more details, she claimed she could not disclose pertinent information at the moment. The three other suits remain unresolved in or out of court.

In recent years, more and more consumer products have become dangerous for buyers. Cases such as this lead people to wonder what rules are behind the safe advertisement of goods and products. 

The court scheduled the original trial date for this month, years after the tragic loss of Sarah Katz.