P&N BLOG | Panera Bread Reaches First Settlement in Wrongful Death Lawsuits Over Charged Lemonade

Panera Bread has reached its first settlement related to the wrongful death lawsuits stemming from its controversial Charged Lemonade. This marks the first resolution in a series of legal actions filed against the company after the death of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who suffered cardiac arrest in 2023 after consuming the high-caffeine drink.

Katz, who had a pre-existing heart condition, died just hours after drinking one of Panera’s Charged Lemonades. The lawsuit filed by her family was the first in a wave of litigation following the incident, which has raised concerns about the safety and transparency of the drink’s contents.

The family’s legal representation, Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at Kline & Specter, PC, confirmed the settlement in a statement shared with USA TODAY. However, she did not disclose specific details regarding the terms of the agreement. According to Crawford, additional lawsuits related to the Charged Lemonade remain unresolved and are still being pursued.

This settlement, first reported by NBC News, is just one of several lawsuits Panera faces over the now-discontinued drink. Other cases include the death of 46-year-old Dennis Brown from Fleming Island, Florida, and a claim of permanent injury by 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt of Rhode Island.

At the center of the controversy is the Charged Lemonade’s high caffeine content, with a large serving containing 390 milligrams of caffeine—equivalent to the amount found in multiple cans of energy drinks. Initially, Panera added warning labels to the beverages in response to the lawsuits, but the company has since removed the product from its stores nationwide as part of a broader “menu transformation.”

Panera Bread has not yet issued an official statement regarding the settlement or the pending lawsuits.

As the legal proceedings continue, the case highlights growing concerns about the transparency of ingredients in popular beverages, particularly for consumers with underlying health conditions. For now, Panera’s move to settle the Katz family’s lawsuit is a critical step in addressing the fallout from this tragic incident.