A 28-year-old steeplechase athlete was rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack caused by Panera Bread's popular beverage, which reportedly contained as much caffeine as three cans of Red Bull, according to the lawsuit.
Lauren Skerritt of Smithfield, Rhode Island, is the third person to sue a restaurant chain over “charged lemonade” after two others suffered fatal heart attacks, according to reports. became.
All three lawsuits were filed by plaintiffs represented by personal injury attorney Elizabeth Crawford.
Panera said the two previous lawsuits were “equally without merit.”
Skerritt claimed in her lawsuit that she suffered an arrhythmia the day after eating two and a half servings of Panera Bread's Charged Lemonade, which she purchased at the chain's store in Greenville, Rhode Island, on April 8 of last year.
Skerritt was taken to the emergency room on April 9, where doctors diagnosed him with atrial fibrillation, according to the complaint. Atrial fibrillation is a heart disease that can lead to stroke and other complications.
Since then, Skerritt has been experiencing “recurrent symptoms of rapid heartbeats that occur suddenly and without pattern,” according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Delaware Superior Court.
“Lauren continues to experience supraventricular tachycardia with shortness of breath, palpitations, brain fog, difficulty thinking and concentrating, body tremors, and weakness,” the complaint states. NBC News reported.
Skerritt and her husband postponed their plans to have a child due to the fact that “she had a high-risk pregnancy and could experience complications during her pregnancy,” the lawsuit alleges.
Panera Bread is a $5.8 billion chain with approximately 2,200 stores across the United States and is incorporated in Delaware.
A company spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Last October, the family of 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz claimed that a lemonade drink caused her fatal heart attack hours after drinking the caffeine-rich product. He sued Panera.
According to the complaint, Katz “ingested the Panera Charge Lemonade with a reasonable belief that it was traditional lemonade,” or that it was “an electrolyte sports drink containing a moderate amount of caffeine that was safe for him to drink.” .
That same day, Katz was dining with friends at a restaurant in his apartment when he “suffered cardiac arrest,” according to the complaint.
Katz's family claimed in the complaint that Panera included the beverage as part of a “Sip Club” that encouraged customers to “drink unlimited amounts of Panera Charged Lemonade every day.”
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Sarah Katz this morning. Our hearts go out to her family,” a Panera spokesperson told the Post.
A spokesperson said the company “strongly believes.”[s] Increase transparency of raw materials. ”
“We are working quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter,” a company representative told the Post.
Last month, the family of Dennis Brown, a 46-year-old Florida resident, filed a lawsuit against Panera Bread, alleging that he died of cardiac arrest hours after drinking charged lemonade.
According to Panera's menu, a large charged lemonade contains 390 milligrams of caffeine, close to the FDA's daily maximum of 400 milligrams.
A 30-ounce serving of Panera's Charged Lemonade has more caffeine than Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined.
Panera issued a statement regarding the lawsuit filed by Brown's family, saying, “Panera expresses its deepest sympathies to Mr. Brown's family.”
“Based on our investigation, we believe that his unfortunate death was not caused by any of the company's products,” the company said.
