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Luke Adams, a teenager from Pennsylvania is suing Panera Bread, alleging that consuming one of their highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade drinks led to his cardiac arrest. Adams, 18, drank the beverage on March 9, along with a chicken sandwich, before heading to a movie theatre. Around 9:34 p.m., two-and-a-half hours later, Adams' friends noticed he was making strange noises and found him in sudden cardiac arrest.
Luckily, two nurses and a cardiologist present in the theatre began performing CPR on Adams to revive him. Although his heart resumed pumping, his rhythm remained irregular and he was rushed to a hospital. Adams experienced seizures in the emergency room and was placed in intensive care and put on a ventilator.
Medical professionals specializing in cardiology and neurology noted in Adams' records that his "heavy caffeine intake" was a potential trigger for the cardiac arrest and seizures, specifically mentioning Panera's Charged Lemonade. The lawsuit said that no other structural abnormalities or genetic conditions were found in Adams.
His mother, Lisa Braverman Feyes, wrote on Facebook, "Luke is not the first cardiac arrest from drinking this, but he is the luckiest as he survived and the other two did not. Our God is an awesome God for sure. 2 nurses and a Cardiologist just so happened to be at the movie theatre to initiate CPR on my son. Lukes best friends acted quickly by yelling for help, laying him down on the ground and running for the AED.”
The lawsuit claims Adams was unaware that the Charged Lemonade was a highly caffeinated energy drink. A regular 20-ounce Charged Lemonade contains 260 milligrams of caffeine, with 390 milligrams in a larger size without ice. In contrast, a 20-ounce Panera dark roast coffee contains 268 milligrams of caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration's recommended daily limit for caffeine is 400 milligrams.
"Luke Adams' case is a tragic example of why the Panera Charged Lemonade is an inherently dangerous product and needs to be removed," said Elizabeth Crawford, the family's attorney. Adams, who now has an implanted defibrillator, suffers from PTSD and anxiety.
Panera has faced multiple lawsuits over its Charged Lemonade. The family of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old with a heart condition who died in September 2022 after drinking the lemonade, and the family of 46-year-old David Brown, who died in October 2022 after consuming three Charged Lemonades, have also filed suits. Additionally, a third lawsuit was filed in January by Lauren Skerritt, who claimed the beverage caused permanent heart injuries.
In response to these incidents, Panera added detailed warnings in its stores and on its website, advising moderation and noting the drinks were not suitable for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or those sensitive to caffeine. Earlier this month, Panera announced it was discontinuing the Charged Lemonade line, which had been introduced in 2022.
