In a recent lawsuit, a Rhode Island woman named Lauren Skerritt has taken legal action against Panera Bread, claiming that the restaurant chain's highly caffeinated lemonade has caused her "permanent cardiac injuries."
Lauren, a 28-year-old occupational therapist and a former athlete with no pre-existing health conditions, regularly participated in obstacle course races. According to reports by NBC News, she now requires daily medication and is grappling with heart problems that have significantly curtailed her ability to work, exercise, and engage in social activities. The complaint was officially filed on a Tuesday afternoon.
The lawsuit outlines that on April 8, Skerritt consumed 2½ Charged Lemonade drinks from a Panera cafe in Greenville, Rhode Island, resulting in palpitations. The following day, she sought medical attention at the emergency room, where tests revealed atrial fibrillation—an irregular heartbeat with serious health implications such as stroke, heart complications, or other significant health problems.
Since then, Skerritt has been experiencing "recurrent episodes of rapid heartbeat that occur suddenly and without pattern," as mentioned in the suit filed in Delaware, where Panera is incorporated.
The legal document further notes that Lauren is continuing to endure supraventricular tachycardia, accompanied by shortness of breath, palpitations, brain fog, difficulty thinking and concentrating, body shakes, and weakness. The suit highlights that Skerritt and her husband have postponed plans to start a family due to concerns about a high-risk pregnancy and potential complications. Christopher Skerritt, Lauren's husband, is also listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
This legal action represents at least the third lawsuit against Panera in recent months specifically related to its Charged Lemonade. The previous two lawsuits, filed in October and December—months after Skerritt consumed the beverage—attributed the lemonade to the deaths of an Ivy League student with a heart condition and a man in Florida with a chromosomal deficiency disorder.
As of now, Panera has not provided an immediate comment on the recent lawsuit. In response to previous legal challenges, the company expressed sympathy for the affected families. Following the second lawsuit, Panera released a statement stating that it believed the customer's "unfortunate passing was not caused by one of the company’s products" and reiterated its commitment to the safety of items on its menu.
The lawsuit underscores the significant impact on Skerritt's life, with the legal document stating, "Everything in her life has been altered" due to the health issues developed after consuming Panera's Charged Lemonade.
Panera has marketed its Charged Lemonade as "Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee." However, the legal complaints highlight that a large, 30-fluid-ounce Charged Lemonade contains 390 milligrams of caffeine, surpassing the total caffeine content of any size of Panera’s dark roast coffee. Notably, this exceeds the caffeine content of standard cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, along with the equivalent of almost 30 teaspoons of sugar, according to the complaints.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends that healthy adults can generally safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. The excessive caffeine content alleged in the lawsuits raises concerns about potential health risks associated with Panera's Charged Lemonade. As these legal challenges unfold, the importance of transparent communication regarding the content of food and beverages—especially those with high caffeine levels—becomes evident. Consumers rely on accurate information to make informed choices about what they consume, particularly when it comes to potential health risks associated with highly caffeinated products.