(CNN) — A 21-year-old lady with a coronary heart situation died after consuming a closely caffeinated lemonade at Panera Bread, her dad and mom alleged in a wrongful-death go well with in opposition to the restaurant chain.
In September 2022, Sarah Katz, a pupil on the College of Pennsylvania, went into cardiac arrest after consuming Charged Lemonade at a Panera restaurant close to the Philadelphia campus. She died after being transported to a hospital and struggling a second arrest, in accordance with the lawsuit, which was filed Monday morning.
Katz’s dad and mom are searching for compensatory and punitive damages.
“We have been very saddened to study this morning in regards to the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts exit to her household,” Panera informed CNN in a press release. “At Panera, we strongly consider in transparency round our components. We’ll work rapidly to completely examine this matter.”
In an post-mortem report obtained by CNN, the medical expert cites Katz’s reason for dying as cardiac arrhythmia as a result of lengthy QT syndrome, a dysfunction that may trigger quick and irregular heartbeats.
Katz was recognized with the syndrome when she was 5, and managed signs by taking medicine and limiting caffeine, the lawsuit states. She by no means knowingly consumed power drinks and wouldn’t have consumed Charged Lemonade had she realized it contained a lot caffeine, the go well with contends.
Katz was “moderately assured it was a conventional lemonade and/or electrolyte sports activities drink containing an inexpensive quantity of caffeine protected for her to drink,” the lawsuit says.
Panera says its 30-ounce dimension of Charged Lemonade accommodates 390 mg of caffeine — just like a 16-ounce Starbucks blonde roast, two pictures of 5-Hour Vitality, or about 5 cans of Pink Bull.
The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration says {that a} protected amount of caffeine “for wholesome adults” sometimes quantities to about 400 milligrams per day.
Panera advertises Charged Lemonade as having comparable quantity of caffeine to its darkish roast espresso. Katz’s dad and mom’ lawsuit says the comparability is “unhelpful” because it doesn’t examine the serving sizes.
Moreover, Charged Lemonade is blended by retailer workers, that means that “its caffeine content material shouldn’t be managed and, in flip, has an innate and harmful potential to differ,” in accordance with the lawsuit.
In keeping with Elizabeth Crawford, the lawyer representing Katz’s dad and mom, Katz drank out of the 30-ounce cup, and should have gotten a refill.
“We wish to ensure that the drink features a warning, or is taken off the shelf,” Crawford informed CNN. “It’s a harmful power drink and it’s not marketed that approach. We wish to be certain this doesn’t occur to another person.”
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable Information Community, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Firm. All rights reserved.
