Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog
Energy drinks are a craze of the most recent generation. They advertise the ability to stay up later, work out longer, study harder, and maintain focus for prolonged periods of time. However, a recent study claims that several energy drinks still out on the market today have been linked to dozens of deaths.
According to a recent report, the FDA has endorsed a claim by the Center for Science in the Public Interest that linked energy drink consumption to 34 deaths in the United States. Of those deaths,
- 22 have been linked to 5-Hour Energy;
- 11 have been linked to Monster; and
- 1 has been linked to Rockstar.
Doctor Stacy Fisher, Director of complex heart diseases at the University of Maryland School of Medicine explained, “As I see in my medical practice, energy drinks are clearly causing symptomatic arrhythmias, . . . These new reports of deaths and other injuries raise the level of concern about the adverse effects of energy drinks.”
The energy drink companies have yet to be held liable for any of the deaths because it has been difficult to prove that they are a contributing cause to any of the deaths. Generally, the energy drink companies point to previous medical conditions or other medications that the victim was taking to explain the death.
However, the FDA received a total of 276 adverse event reports over a ten-year period ending in January, 2014. Of those, 42 resulted in life-threatening injuries and 115 required hospitalization. Even so, an FDA spokesperson acknowledged the difficulty in determining the exact link between energy drinks and the deaths, explaining that the “FDA has and continues to investigate every one of these reports to try to determine whether the product caused or contributed to the event. Frequently there are other complicating factors, such as existing disease or medications the person may have been taking. Often, despite our best efforts, we are unable to get more information, either because of a lack of medical records or contact information.”
Regardless, it seems that energy drinks are at least related to these deaths, if not the sole cause. While it may be true that other medications or pre-existing medical conditions contributed to the deaths, the fact is that, without having consumed the energy drinks, these people may still be alive.
Have You Lost a Loved One Due to Unusual Circumstances?
If you have recently lost a loved one due to what seems like unusual circumstances, it may be worth contacting an experienced Washington, D.C. accident attorney to investigate into the potential cause of your loved one’s death. In many cases, there are several contributing factors to a person’s death, especially in cases like these involving the energy drinks. To learn more about how people can recover for the death of their loved ones in the Washington, D.C. area, and to speak to an attorney about your case, click here or call 410-654-3600 today to schedule a free initial consultation.
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