Panera Bread Sips on First Settlement in Charged Lemonade Lawsuit Storm

In a shocking twist, Panera Bread has managed to settle one of the many wrongful death lawsuits that have been hurled at them like sour lemons, thanks to their now-discontinued Charged Lemonade beverages. Because nothing says "refreshing" like a heart-stopping caffeine rush! 🍹💀

Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at the law firm Kline & Specter, PC, confirmed the settlement with USA TODAY on Monday. She repped the family of Sarah Katz and, in true lawyer fashion, gave a statement that said everything and nothing at the same time. 🤐

The settlement, first reported by NBC News, is just the beginning. Panera faces a slew of similar lawsuits, including one from the family of Dennis Brown, a 46-year-old who tragically died after downing the lemonade, and another from Lauren Skerritt, who allegedly suffered "permanent" injuries. 💔

Panera, initially adding a warning label to the drinks, has since removed the lemonade from stores, citing a "menu transformation." Yeah, because nothing says "transformation" like a slew of lawsuits. 🍋🚮

Panera Bread didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday morning. Shocker. 😲

The Tragic Story of Sarah Katz

On Sept. 10, 2022, Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition called QT syndrome type 1, drank a Charged Lemonade at a local Panera Bread. An avid Gatorade drinker, Katz's family believes she saw the "charged" in "Charged Lemonade" as referring to electrolytes. ⚡️🍹

Hours later, she collapsed and fell into cardiac arrest. She was transported to a hospital where she went into another arrest and sadly passed away. 💔

Panera's heartfelt response? "We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family." Not sure that'll cut it, folks. 🤔

The Lawsuit

Sarah Katz's family filed a lawsuit against Panera Bread for wrongful death on Oct. 23, 2023. The lawsuit alleged that the 390 mg of caffeine in a large Charged Lemonade was way more than what's in drinks like Monster or Red Bull but was advertised as a "clean" drink with the same amount of caffeine "as a dark roast coffee." ☕️💪

Katz drank the beverage "reasonably confident it was a traditional lemonade and/or electrolyte sports drink containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for her to drink," the lawsuit said. Because who needs transparency when you can have a marketing nightmare? 🙄

Panera later tried to have the case dismissed, but the request was rejected by a judge. Who didn't see that coming? 🧐

Stay tuned for more shocking developments in this caffeine-fueled saga! 📺🍽️