Search Here

Over the past years, researchers have studied the effects of energy drinks on young children. Since these drinks, such as Red Bull and Monster, have caffeine, they could pose a threat to America's youth. However, a recent case involving Red Bull suggests that energy drinks could be dangerous for adults as well. The family of a 33-year-old father from Brooklyn, NY who suffered a heart attack and died after chugging down a can of Red Bull two years ago are now suing the company. Cory Terry's family has decided to sue Red Bull for wrongful death. The $85 million lawsuit was filed this past Monday.

The family's lawyer, Ilya Novofastovsky stated that the drinks have "extra stimulants that make it different than a cup of coffee. They are more dangerous than what Red Bull lets on."

According to the report, Terry had consumed an entire red bull before a basketball game on the evening of Nov. 8 2011. During the game, which took place at Stephen Decatur Middle School, he suffered from a heart attack. The heart attack occurred roughly 45 minutes after he finished the red bull. The doctors had stated that the cause of death was idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, which meant that Terry's heart had stopped working. Terry was a construction worker from Bedford-Stuyvesant. His grandmother, Patricia Terry, stated that Terry was healthy and was not a smoker. However, she stated that he was an avid Red Bull drinker.

"I know he was healthy and I couldn't find no other reason for why he died," Patricia said according to the New York Daily News.

Patricia had filed a lawsuit against the city before she filed the one against Red Bull. In the previous lawsuit, which is currently pending, she stated that the school's gym had no defibrillator or other life-saving equipment. Furthermore, she said that the ambulance took 40 minutes to arrive, which could have affected Terry's survival rate.

Although Red Bull has not addressed any cases brought up against them, the company's spokeswoman has said that the company's product has been approved across the world because health officials found it safe to consume. Red Bull has sold around 35 billion cans in 165 countries within the past 25 years. Even though this is Red Bull's first wrongful death lawsuit, from 2004 to 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received 21 reports sent in from doctors or hospitals stating that their patients experienced symptoms, such as fatigue, dizziness and chest pain after drinking the beverage. However, there is evidence that the numbers might be higher.

"We're trying to make this death mean something," Novofastovsky said. "We're trying to make sure that we prevent more."

Terry left behind a 13-year-old son.