Panera Bread’s highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade is now blamed for a second death, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
Dennis Brown, of Fleming Island, Florida, drank three Charged Lemonades from a local Panera on Oct. 9 and then suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on his way home, the suit says.
Brown, 46, had an unspecified chromosomal deficiency disorder, a developmental delay and a mild intellectual disability. He lived independently, frequently stopping at Panera after his shifts at a supermarket, the legal complaint says. Because he had high blood pressure, he did not consume energy drinks, it adds.
They very clearly advertise this lemonade as being caffeinated in all the signage I’ve seen in their stores. They even tell you how much is in each size, which is quite substantial. The biggest size is right at the cusp of the daily recommended maximum for caffeine (similar to a large can of Monster or Rockstar) at a whopping 390mg (and for reference, the daily max is 400mg).
I am not sure if this is true, as I haven’t been to panera in years. But I’ve heard the signage only appeared after the first death lawsuit.
I have a Panera in the hospital I work at, so I’m a frequent customer. Before the first death, all the caffeinated juices had a sign above them saying “charged” and were next to the regular juice. But after the death, they moved all caffeinated juice behind the counter so an employee has to fill it for you. And when you order it on the app or kiosk, there is a huge warning banner telling you about the caffeine content. It’s pretty obvious what you’re getting yourself into imo. I’m a little caffeine sensitive myself, so I request that my lemonade only be filled halfway then I fill the rest with water.
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