Panera has reached a settlement in one of two wrongful-death lawsuits over the chain’s caffeinated lemonade.
Sarah Katz’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit last October. Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition, died in 2022 after drinking Panera’s “charged lemonade.”
Panera has previously said Katz’s injuries and death were the result of a pre-existing heart condition and that Katz assumed the risk of her activities.
In January, Panera said it would no longer sell the lemonade.
On Monday, documents filed with the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania stated that issues between the Katz family and the bakery-cafe chain had been resolved and dismissed. Terms were not revealed.
Elizabeth Crawford, the attorney involved in the “charged lemonade” cases, confirmed that the Katz lawsuit was resolved but could not provide further information.
The lawsuit alleged that Panera failed to accurately advertise its charged lemonade as an energy drink, putting consumers at risk, and that the company knew the product could cause serious harm.
A 30-ounce cup of Panera’s mango yuzu citrus charged lemonade has about 390 milligrams of caffeine, while a 20-ounce cup of Panera dark roast coffee has about 268 milligrams, Panera said.
Last year, the family of 46-year-old Dennis Brown filed suit, claiming the Florida resident consumed the lemonade in the days before his fatal cardiac arrest. And a third lawsuit filed this year alleges the drink is responsible for the permanent heart health issues of Rhode Island woman Lauren Skerritt, who was an athlete.
Panera did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The first St. Louis Bread Co. store was opened in 1987 in Kirkwood, Mo., by Ken and Linda Rosenthal. It was eventually sold and renamed, but many locations around St. Louis continue to operate as St. Louis Bread Co.
As of August, there are 2,172 Panera Bread locations in 48 states and the District of Columbia and in Ontario, Canada.
- Hannah Wyman for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
