Family files lawsuit against Panera Bread after college student who drank ‘charged lemonade’ dies

An Ivy League student with a heart condition died after drinking Panera Bread’s “charged lemonade,” a large cup of which contains more caffeine than cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, according to a lawsuit.

The legal complaint, which was filed Monday morning in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and was first obtained by NBC News, calls the beverage a “dangerous energy drink” and argues that Panera failed to appropriately warn consumers about its ingredients.

Panera Bread did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The suit was filed on behalf of the parents of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who had taught CPR in underserved communities and had been a research assistant at a children’s hospital. Katz had a heart condition called long QT syndrome type 1 and avoided energy drinks at the recommendation of her doctors, according to the filing.