Panera Bread’s Loaded Lemonade Linked to Second Death in Lawsuit

A Florida man died after drinking three servings of a highly caffeinated drink from Panera Bread, according to a lawsuit filed against the company Monday. It is the second lawsuit linking the drink, Charged Lemonade, to a death.

Dennis Brown, 46, died in October after suffering a “heart condition” while walking home from a Panera Bread on Fleming Island, Florida, according to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Mr. Brown’s mother, sister and brother. Delaware Supreme Court.

This is the second lawsuit filed against Panera Bread over its Charged Lemonade, which in its large size contains more caffeine than a 12-ounce Red Bull and a 16-ounce Monster Energy Drink combined.

The lawsuit said the company “knew or should have known” that the drink could be harmful to children, pregnant and lactating women, and people sensitive to caffeine.

After the first lawsuit, Panera told NBC News that it had “enhanced our existing caffeine disclosure” on its website and app, and in its restaurants.

In a statement Tuesday, Panera said it “strongly stands behind the safety of our products.”

“Based on our investigation, we believe that his unfortunate death was not caused by any of the company’s products,” the statement said. “We also consider this lawsuit, filed by the same law firm as a prior claim, to be without merit.”

In October, the parents of a student with a heart condition who died in September 2022 after drinking a Charged Lemonade died has filed a lawsuit against Panera. According to the lawsuit, the student, Sarah Katz, 21, likely drank the drink thinking it contained a safe amount of caffeine.

A regular Charged Lemonade contains 260 milligrams of caffeine and the large size 390 milligrams. According to Panera’s website.

According to the Food and Drug Administrationmost “healthy adults” can safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, or about four or five cups of regular coffee, depending on the brand and roast.

Energy drinks typically contain high levels of caffeine, added sugars and stimulants that pose significant risks to people with heart disease, who dietitians say should avoid these drinks. Large amounts of caffeine can also tax the cardiac systems of people who do not have heart disease.

The lawsuit filed in Delaware said Mr. Brown had high blood pressure, developmental delay, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a chromosomal disorder that caused mild intellectual disability and blurred vision.

Mr. Brown advocated for people with disabilities as a member of community safety and inclusion Clay County Change Makers Self-Advocacy Groupthe complaint said.

He lived independently and worked at a Publix supermarket for almost 17 years, packing shopping bags and walking customers to their cars.

After his shifts at Publix, he would go to Panera up to three times a week, the lawsuit said.

On Oct. 9, he ordered the Charged Lemonade and drank two refills before walking home, the complaint said. During the walk he suffered a heart attack and was found unconscious on a sidewalk, where he was pronounced dead.

The complaint stated that the Charged Lemonade at Panera was “offered side by side” with no or reduced caffeine beverages, and was not advertised as an energy drink or carried any warnings. The lawsuit does not say whether Mr. Brown ordered a regular or large size.

Mr. Brown died of “cardiac arrest due to high blood pressure,” according to a death certificate provided by Elizabeth Crawford, an attorney at the law firm Kline & Specter, which represents the families of Mr. Brown and Ms. Katz.

“Dennis is part of a vulnerable population that needs to be protected,” Ms. Crawford said in an emailed statement. “And Panera failed to protect Dennis. Dennis’ family, like the Katz family, hopes that this message will be made known to prevent this from happening to anyone else.”

The high caffeine content in Charged Lemonade appealed broad attention And media reporting after a video was posted to TikTok in December 2022 by a user shocked by the drink’s unexpected caffeine content.