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Sarah Katz, of Jersey City, died at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center on Sept. 10, 2022, according to her obituary.
The 21-year-old's death came shortly after she drank "Charged Lemonade" at the Panera located at 200 South 40th Street, in Philadelphia, according to the lawsuit filed on Monday, Oct. 23, by Kline & Specter, P.C. on behalf of Jill and Michael Katz.
Sarah went into cardiac arrest at a table in the Panera surrounded by her friends shortly after drinking the beverage. After she was rushed to Pennsylvania Presbyterian Hospital, she suffered a second cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead, as explained in the suit.
Earlier in the year, she had two cardiac appointments as part of her ongoing care for LQT1 — both yielded normal cardiac test results, the suit notes.
The UPenn student had been diagnosed with Long QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1) when she was 5 years old, according to her family.
"In LQT1, the potassium ion channels in the heart do not work properly, disrupting the heart's electrical activity. Emotional stress or physical exercise, particularly swimming, can trigger arrhythmias," according to Standford Medicine.
Due to her condition, Sarah had avoided highly caffeinated beverages her entire life, as explained in the 26-page wrongful death lawsuit. The Katz family is asserting that Panera's labeling of "Charged Lemonade" failed to properly indicate it was highly caffeinated.
The beverage was advertised as "Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee: Sip, ENJOY, Repeat. Unlimited Sip Club,” the suit states including a picture of the sign in the store.
They also claim that the term "charged" can be used to mean charged with electrolytes to aid in hydration, like with Gatorade which "contains no caffeine but uses a 'charged' symbol to represent hydration," as stated in the suit.
The caffeine content of the "Charged Lemonade" that Sarah drank ranges from 260 milligrams in 20 fluid ounces to 390 milligrams in 30 fluid ounces, which "exceeds the combined contents of 12 fluid ounces of Red Bull," as stated in the suit.
The suit goes on to note that the beverage had "exorbitant amounts of sugar" which also exceeds that of Red Bull.
Panera was "negligent, reckless, intentional, fraudulent, reckless, and/or outrageous misconduct which caused, increased the risk of harm, and/or was a substantial contributing cause of (the Katz’s) damages which include, but are not limited to, the following," the suit states:
- Untimely death at 21 years old.
- Cardiac arrhythmias.
- Cardiac arrest.
- Hypoxia.
- Pain and suffering.
- Loss of enjoyment of life and life’s pleasures.
- Emotional distress.
- Disfigurement.
- Embarrassment.
- Future lost wages.
- Loss of future earning capacity.
- Funeral expenses.
- Medical expenses.
- All damages are recoverable under the Survival Act.
- All damages are recoverable under the Wrongful Death Act.
- All damages as set forth in greater detail in Plaintiffs’ Complaint and as permitted by Pennsylvania law.
Sarah was a class of 2024 student in the College of Arts and Sciences "pursuing majors in international relations and health & societies and a minor in East Asian language and civilization," the school said in a statement following her death.
She was a graduate of Elisabeth Irwin High School in New York City who completed a gap year at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, "where she was granted a full merit scholarship to learn Mandarin," the school explained.
"Sarah was a Red Cap ambassador with the American Heart Association (AHA), where she taught CPR in high schools and underserved communities and organized teams for the Wall Street Run & Heart Walk," as stated in the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation's memorial post for Sarah.
She previously worked at Neil A. Weinrib & Associates and was a research assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, according to her social media and UPenn.
Sarah also "introduced a bill to Pennsylvania state legislators advocating that all Pennsylvania schools become certified 'heart-safe' spaces," the school said. "She returned to campus (in fall 2022) eager to begin working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a health communications intern."
She was also a leader in the Penn John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society, a membership coordinator for the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, the social chair of Sigma Kappa sorority, and an active member of Penn Hille and MEOR, according to a fundraiser launched in her memory.
Her family issued the following statement to UPenn:
“We are devastated by this tragic passing of our beloved Sarah. She loved the University of Pennsylvania so much and was so happy and thriving. Sarah was fully engaged in so many aspects of campus life, academics, clubs, socially, and through internships. Words cannot express how much of a loss we are feeling. We so appreciate everything.”
She was interred at Cedar Park Cemetery, 735 Forest Avenue, Paramus, NJ on Sept. 13, 2022, her obituary states.
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