Why is Panera Bread being sued? Lawsuit claims explored as Ivy League student dies after allegedly drinking chain's caffeinated lemonade

Panera Bread, the American chain of bakery-café fast food restaurants, is being sued by the family of a 21-year-old Ivy League student named Sarah Katz. The youngster, who had a heart condition, died after she allegedly drank the chain's Charged Lemonade.

On September 10, 2022, Katz reportedly ordered a Charged Lemonade as part of a meal at a Philadelphia Panera outlet, and "suffered a cardiac arrest" while dining with friends at a different restaurant in her apartment building that same day, as per the lawsuit.

The lawsuit stated that the drink at the restaurant is served in a large cup and contains more caffeine than cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, as per NBC. The wrongful death suit was filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on October 23, 2023.

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Sarah Katz suffered a cardiac arrest hours after reportedly drinking a beverage from Panera Bread, which contains 390 mg of caffeine

The lawsuit filed on Monday against Panera Bread stated several details about the ingredients of the energy drink Charged Lemonade and Sarah Katz's heart condition. She was a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student last year. She taught CPR and had also been a research assistant at a children's hospital, as per NBC.

According to CNN, Sarah had a heart condition called long QT syndrome (LQTS) type 1. LQTS is a disorder that can cause one's heart to beat faster than usual in an irregular manner, according to the Mayo Clinic. Due to her condition, doctors advised her against consuming energy drinks.

The lawsuit specified the circumstances leading up to Sarah's death. On September 10, 2022, the Ivy League student ordered the large Charged Lemonade from Panera Bread, without realizing that it contained 390 milligrams of caffeine. This is more than three times the 111 milligrams of caffeine found in a standard 12-ounce can of Red Bull, as per the New York Post.

The lawsuit stated that she "consumed the Panera Charged Lemonade, reasonably confident it was a traditional lemonade" or an "electrolyte sports drink containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for her to drink."

A few hours later, Sarah suffered a cardiac arrest while dining with friends at a different restaurant in her apartment building, according to the filing. The family's attorneys have accused Panera Bread of failing to provide warnings about "any potentially dangerous effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and/or brain function."

As per CNN, the lawsuit stated that Panera Bread advertised the drink as a "plant-based and clean" beverage "with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee," implying that they did not disclose the dangers of the drink.

Victoria Rose Conroy, Sarah Katz's college roommate also verified the same while speaking to NBC. She said Katz "was very, very vigilant about what she needed to do to keep herself safe," and added:

"I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole."

The attorney representing the 21-year-old's parents, Elizabeth Crawford, told CNN:

"We want to make sure that the drink includes a warning, or is taken off the shelf. It’s a dangerous energy drink and it’s not advertised that way. We want to make sure this does not happen to someone else."

According to the lawsuit, the drink Katz consumed also included guarana extract, which is a stimulant and is the equivalent of nearly 30 teaspoons of sugar, as per the New York Post.

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Panera Bread released a statement addressing the lawsuit

After the news about the lawsuit came to light on Monday morning, Panera released a statement. They stated that the chain believes in "transparency around our ingredients" and told CNN:

"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."

Sarah Katz’s parents are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as per NBC. The case is still ongoing and more information about the same is currently awaited.