In a recent development, Panera Bread is facing another lawsuit related to its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade, with a Rhode Island woman, Lauren Skerritt, claiming that the beverage led to permanent cardiac injuries. The lawsuit, filed in the Delaware Superior Court, alleges that the design of the Charged Lemonade is “defective” and “dangerous,” asserting that Panera was negligent in creating the beverage.
According to the complaint, Skerritt, a 28-year-old occupational therapist and former athlete with no underlying health conditions, consumed 2½ Charged Lemonade drinks from a Panera cafe in Greenville, Rhode Island, on April 8, 2023. The following day, she experienced palpitations and sought medical attention at the emergency room, where tests revealed she had atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat with serious health implications.
Skerritt now requires daily medication and faces heart problems that have significantly impacted her ability to work, exercise, and socialize. The lawsuit contends that she continues to suffer from recurrent episodes of rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, palpitations, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, body shakes, and weakness.
This marks at least the third lawsuit against Panera over its Charged Lemonade. Previous cases, filed in October and December, attributed the deaths of an Ivy League student with a heart condition and a man in Florida with a chromosomal deficiency disorder to the beverage.
Panera has not yet commented on the most recent lawsuit but previously expressed sympathy for the families involved in the earlier cases. The company asserted that it believed the customer’s unfortunate passing was not caused by its products and reiterated its commitment to the safety of items on its menu.
The Charged Lemonade, advertised as “Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee,” contains 390 milligrams of caffeine in a large, 30-fluid-ounce serving, surpassing the caffeine content of Panera’s dark roast coffee. This amount exceeds the FDA’s guideline of 400 milligrams of caffeine per day for healthy adults.
Attorney Elizabeth Crawford, representing Skerritt and the families in the previous lawsuits, argues that Panera’s advertising of the lemonade as a seemingly innocuous product in a bakery-cafe setting can be misleading for consumers. She emphasizes that the drink’s caffeine content is equivalent to three Red Bulls and raises concerns about the impact on vulnerable individuals, such as those with underlying heart conditions, pregnant women, and children.
The lawsuit calls the Charged Lemonade a dangerous drink and alleges that Panera was aware or should have been aware of the potential risks associated with its consumption. Panera has recently updated its disclosures, cautioning customers to consume the beverage in moderation and advising against its consumption by children, individuals sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.
Despite these warnings, the lawsuit argues that Panera should go further and remove the Charged Lemonade from its menu entirely. The complainants insist that the beverage, once perceived as innocuous, has led to life-altering consequences for Skerritt and others, urging the company to take responsibility for the alleged defects in its design.
As the legal battles unfold, the controversy surrounding Panera’s Charged Lemonade continues, prompting questions about the adequacy of product disclosures and safety measures in the food and beverage industry.