Monster Energy: Our Drink Did Not Cause Death of 14-Year-Old Girl

Monster Energy on Monday said its medical investigators did not find any evidence the company’s drinks caused the death of a 14-year-old girl, Reuters reports.

Anais Fournier died last year of cardiac arrest, after she consumed two Monster Energy drinks on consecutive days. Her parents sued the company, blaming her death on caffeine toxicity from the drinks.

The company hired two doctors to examine Fournier’s medical records, and said they found no evidence the drinks caused the girl’s death. They noted she had been receiving treatment for a heart condition for many years.

One of the physicians hired by the company, Michael Forman, said that because of Fornier’s medical history, she could have suffered cardiac arrest that day, no matter what she drank. He added no blood test was taken to prove she suffered from caffeine toxicity.

“Monster is very sorry for the family’s loss, but the facts do not support placing the blame of Ms. Fournier’s untimely passing on Monster beverages,” Daniel Callahan, one of the company’s lawyers, said in a news release.

A recent government report found the number of emergency room visits involving energy drinks doubled from 2007 to 2011, reaching more than 20,000. The report, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found most cases involved teens or young adults. SAMHSA calls consumption of energy drinks a “rising public health problem.” The drinks can cause insomnia, headaches, seizures, fast heartbeat and nervousness, the report notes.

In November, the Food and Drug Administration said it was likely to seek advice about the potential health dangers of energy drinks, in the wake of reports of deaths and injuries possibly related to the products.