Luke Adams has filed a civil action complaint against Panera Bread Company and Panera, LLC in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on May 20, 2024. The plaintiff, represented by attorneys from Kline & Specter, P.C., alleges that Panera's Charged Lemonade caused him severe health issues including cardiac arrest.
According to the complaint, Luke Adams, an 18-year-old high school junior from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, consumed a large Mango Yuzu Citrus Charged Lemonade from a local Panera Bread store on March 9, 2024. The beverage reportedly contains between 237 mg and 390 mg of caffeine depending on whether it is served with ice. Unaware of its high caffeine content and other stimulants like guarana, Adams experienced sudden cardiac arrest while watching a movie later that evening. His friends called for emergency assistance when they noticed him making unusual sounds. Despite immediate CPR efforts by bystanders and subsequent medical intervention involving defibrillation and intubation at Allegheny Health Network Forbes Hospital, Adams suffered significant health complications including seizures and acute respiratory failure.
Medical evaluations suggested that his cardiac arrest was likely triggered by the excessive caffeine intake from the Charged Lemonade. Neurology reports indicated "unclear etiology, possibly related to cardiac arrest secondary to caffeine intake," while cardiology assessments identified "heavy caffeine intake" as the only potential trigger for his ventricular fibrillation—a life-threatening heart arrhythmia.
The lawsuit claims that Panera's Charged Lemonade is defectively designed and manufactured due to its high stimulant content which poses significant health risks. It further accuses Panera of failing to provide adequate warnings about these dangers. The plaintiff argues that the company misrepresented the beverage as a harmless fruit juice drink rather than an energy drink with potentially harmful levels of caffeine and sugar.
Adams is seeking compensatory damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, embarrassment, permanent implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), among other injuries. He also demands punitive damages to penalize Panera for their alleged negligence and reckless disregard for consumer safety.
The case is being handled by attorneys Thomas R. Kline, Elizabeth A. Crawford, Michelle A. Paznokas, and Wyatt Larkin from Kline & Specter P.C., with Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro presiding over the matter under Case ID: 2:24-cv-02137-NIQA.