The lawsuit concerns the death of a 19-year-old who went into cardiac arrest early one morning last July and was rushed to the ER near his home in California where he was pronounced dead. The lawsuit claims that the boy would not have died had he not consumed two cans of Monster’s energy drink every day for three years prior to his death, including on the day he died.
The wrongful death suit follows on the heels of a lawsuit by the family of a 14-year-old girl from Maryland who also sued Monster after their daughter died last year. The girl had consumed two 24-ounce cans of Monster prior to undergoing cardiac arrest.
Both lawsuits claim that Monster failed to warn about the dangers posed by the consumption of its products, especially dangers posed to young children and teens. Monster has said that the Maryland girl died due to natural causes but has not yet issued a statement regarding the death of the 19-year-old in California.
Monster and other energy drink manufacturers are under intense scrutiny recently after the FDA announced several months ago that it would launch investigations into several deaths that were possibly linked to consumption of the highlight caffeinated drinks. So far five reports specifically discuss a link between Monster Energy Drink and cardiac-related deaths.
Though caffeine may not be a prescription medication, there’s no doubt that that such high levels can cause serious harm. Seemingly safe ingredients in products we use and consume every day can cause serious injuries and even death given the right set of circumstances. For example, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said more than 13,000 emergency room visits in 2009 were linked to consumption of energy drinks. A product that can lead to so many adverse health reactions should be carefully watched by the FDA to ensure consumers are safe.
CA
Comments for this article are closed.