Panera Pan Mango Yuzu Citrus Rate Lemonade is on display at the Panera Pan Restaurant on November 1, 2023 in Novato, California.
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Panera Pan has settled three remaining lawsuits facing highly caffeinated, recharged lemonade, a drink accused of multiple deaths and permanent injuries.
Elizabeth Crawford, a plaintiff’s lawyer who is a partner at PC’s Philadelphia law firm Kline & Specter, confirmed Wednesday that “all issues have been resolved.” She said she couldn’t comment anymore.
Panera also confirmed the legal developments originally reported by NBC News, but refused to answer additional questions.
Charged Lemonade made the headline in October 2023 when parents of a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student filed a lawsuit alleging that parents with heart conditions had fatal cardiac arrest after their daughter, Sarah Katz, had a drink.
Panera settled the lawsuit last October. This was the first of at least four submitted against the Bakery Kafchain. The second lawsuit alleges that the drink caused the death of 46-year-old Florida resident Dennis Brown after drinking three lemonades.
Two other legal complaints alleged that the drink caused serious heart problems for two healthy people, 28-year-old Lauren Skerlit of Rhode Island, and Luke Adams, a Pennsylvania teenager who said he had to be revived a few hours after he drank Lemoude, where he was charged.
Crawford represented the plaintiffs in all four cases. Court records showed that the remaining three cases were stated to have been dismissed on Monday for bias. The case had previously been scheduled to go to trial.
The lawsuit calls the indicted lemonade a “dangerous energy drink” and accused Panera of failing to properly warn customers about its ingredients. When served without ice, the size of 30 fried ounces contained 390 milligrams of caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration says healthy adults can safely consume in one day, with a slight amount of caffeine in 400 milligrams
The charged lemonade also contained another stimulant: guarana extract.
Panera denied misconduct in court documents. Following the lawsuit over Katz’s death, the chain made many changes, including moving drinks behind the counter, so it was no longer a self-service offer. Additionally, a sign has been added warning that recharged lemonade should be consumed in moderation and is not recommended for children, caffeine-sensitive people, or pregnant or nursing women.
Panera removed controversial drinks from stores across the country in May 2024. It says this is part of the “recent menu conversions.”
