Panera Bread Faces A Second Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over Its Charged Lemonade

Panera Bread is facing a second lawsuit over a wrongful death allegedly linked to its controversial Charged Lemonade beverage. The latest lawsuit was filed on Monday, December 4, 2023, following the death of Dennis Brown, a 46-year-old Florida man who suffered cardiac arrest on his walk home after drinking three cups of the Charged Lemonade on October 9. The lawsuit was filed on his behalf by his surviving mother and two siblings in Delaware Superior Court.

As we reported in October 2023, Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old college student, died from cardiac arrest after drinking a large-sized Charged Lemonade in September 2022. Katz was known to have a heart condition called long QT syndrome type 1, while Brown had high blood pressure. Both lawsuits claim the chain known for its soups and salads should better identify the ingredients in the caffeinated beverage as it is available for customers to refill themselves alongside non-caffeinated beverages.

The Charged Sips plant-based beverages are currently available in strawberry lemon mint lemonade, mango yuzu citrus lemonade, and blood orange flavors. The drink contains 390 milligrams of caffeine for a large. And, when ordered without ice, that number could be even higher. The Charged Lemonades are not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, or women who are breastfeeding or pregnant, according to a statement on Panera Bread's website at the time of this publication. For reference, an 8-ounce cup of coffee typically contains an average of 95 milligrams of caffeine depending on the variety and an 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull has 80 milligrams of caffeine.

Following the first lawsuit involving the highly-caffeinated lemonade, Panera Bread changed the beverage description in October to state the caffeine content and that it should be avoided by certain consumers both online and in its stores. To help you make the best decision on trying this drink at Panera Bread, 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is thought to be a safe amount for most adults per the Food and Drug Administration. And if you think you have overconsumed caffeine, watch out for signs of a fast heart rate, anxiousness, jitters, and nausea among other symptoms per FDA guidelines.