Panera Bread has reached its first settlement in a wave of wrongful death lawsuits stemming from its now-discontinued Charged Lemonade drinks, according to the law firm representing the Katz family, shared with YSL News on Monday.

Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at Kline & Specter, PC, representing the family of Sarah Katz, confirmed the settlement in an email statement but could not disclose further details about the agreement. She noted that other cases related to the Charged Lemonade are still ongoing.

This settlement, initially reported by NBC News, marks the first resolution among several lawsuits filed against the restaurant chain. The Katz family initiated these legal actions after the tragic death of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old Ivy League student with a preexisting heart condition, who died following her consumption of the lemonade.

Other pending lawsuits have linked the Charged Lemonade drink, which contains 390 mg of caffeine in a large serving, to the death of 46-year-old Dennis Brown from Fleming Island, Florida, and to alleged “permanent” injuries suffered by 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt from Rhode Island.

Initially, Panera included a warning label on the drinks; however, it has since removed the beverage from stores nationwide, citing a “menu transformation” rather than the tragic incidents.

As of Monday morning, Panera Bread had not responded to requests for comment.

The case of Sarah Katz

On September 10, 2022, Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania, consumed a Charged Lemonade at a nearby Panera Bread location. She had been diagnosed with QT syndrome type 1, a heart condition, at a young age and typically avoided energy drinks, according to her family’s lawsuit.

Katz, who was an avid consumer of Gatorade, might have misunderstood the term “charged” in “Charged Lemonade” as referring to electrolytes like those in Gatorade. Her family alleges she didn’t see any signs indicating that the drink contained high levels of caffeine. Using her Unlimited Sip Club membership, which allows refills at no extra cost, she ordered the drink.

A few hours later, she collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest. She was rushed to a hospital, where she experienced a second arrest and ultimately passed away.

In a statement to YSL News at that time, a Panera representative expressed condolences, saying: “We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency regarding our ingredients and will swiftly conduct a thorough investigation into this matter.”

Overview of the lawsuit

On October 23, 2023, Sarah Katz’s family initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against Panera Bread in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.

The lawsuit claimed that Katz suffered cardiac arrest as a direct consequence of consuming the Charged Lemonade. Records from the court indicate that a large Charged Lemonade contains 390 mg of caffeine, a significant amount compared to drinks like Monster or Red Bull, but it was misleadingly marketed as a “clean” beverage containing caffeine levels comparable to that of a dark roast coffee.

Katz consumed the drink “reasonably believing it to be a standard lemonade or electrolyte beverage, with a safe amount of caffeine for her to consume,” according to the allegations in the lawsuit.

Panera later attempted to dismiss the case, but the judge denied that request.