Panera Bread Settles First Charged Lemonade Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The settlement follows the death of a University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition after consuming the highly caffeinated beverage.

Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old student with long QT syndrome, died after drinking Panera's Charged Lemonade in September 2022.
The beverage contained up to 390 mg of caffeine and was marketed alongside non-caffeinated drinks, leading to allegations of inadequate labeling.
Panera Bread discontinued the Charged Lemonade in May 2024 amid multiple lawsuits, but cited a menu transformation rather than legal pressures.
The lawsuit claimed Katz mistook the drink for a sports beverage due to its marketing, contributing to her fatal cardiac arrest.
Panera has made changes to its beverage policies, including adding warning labels and moving the drink behind the counter before its discontinuation.