Greenville, Rhode Island – Panera Bread is facing a new lawsuit in Delaware, as a customer contends that the highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade drinks have left her with permanent heart issues. This is not the first time the company has been sued over the lemonade drinks, with two previous cases also blaming them for causing deaths. In response to the previous lawsuits, Panera added warning labels to its menu. However, customers are claiming that they were unaware of the contents of the drinks.
The latest lawsuit was filed on behalf of Lauren Skerritt, a 28-year-old woman from Rhode Island. Skerritt, who was previously an athlete and had no known underlying health issues, alleges that consuming two-and-a-half Charged Lemonades caused her to experience dizziness and heart palpitations. She sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. Skerritt now requires medication to control recurring symptoms including rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and body shakes.
The lawsuit claims that Skerritt’s health issues have negatively impacted her ability to work, exercise, and socialize. It has even affected her plans of starting a family with her husband. Panera Bread has not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
The first lawsuit accusing Panera’s Charged Lemonade of causing a death was filed by the family of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old college student who died in 2022 from cardiac arrest. Katz’s family alleges that the drinks were mislabeled as clean and contained the same amount of caffeine as a dark roast coffee. Katz, who had a heart condition, avoided energy drinks due to her condition. The second lawsuit claimed that a 46-year-old man also died after consuming three Charged Lemonades. Panera denied any wrongdoing in both cases.
Panera changed the labels on the Charged Lemonade drinks after the first lawsuit, adding a warning about caffeine content. On its website, the chain advertises the drinks as “naturally flavored” and “plant-based,” with the same amount of caffeine as a dark roast coffee. However, the nutrition information reveals that the regular size of the drink contains 260 milligrams of caffeine, while the large size contains 390 milligrams.
Panera Bread continues to stand by the safety of its products, despite facing multiple lawsuits over its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade drinks.