Corona-Based 'Monster' Touts Product After Lawsuits Dropped

CORONA, CA - Monster Beverage Corp. Thursday slammed the "misinformation" circulated about its drinks following a law firm's decision to drop all of its product liability suits against the Corona-based company.

"The voluntary dismissal of these lawsuits, we believe, speaks volumes," said Marc Miles, a lawyer for Monster Energy.

Florida-based Morgan & Morgan filed five civil actions against Monster Energy in February, alleging that its clients had suffered "life-altering injuries as a result of regular consumption of (Monster's) products." Lead attorney Mike Morgan said that he intended to show the company's caffeine- loaded drinks had contributed to heart attacks, renal failure, hypertension and other potentially deadly ailments.

Morgan did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reasons for dropping the suits.

"There is a lot of misinformation in the public about energy drinks," Miles said. "Once the substantial body of scientific evidence is reviewed, the safety of Monster Energy drinks becomes readily apparent."

"Recent scientific studies specifically conducted on Monster Energy drinks and published in peer-reviewed medical journals concluded there was no safety concern associated with the consumption of Monster Energy drinks," the attorney said. "Over the past 14 years, more than 16 billion Monster Energy drinks have been sold and safely consumed worldwide."

According to Monster Energy, the FDA and other health agencies have scrutinized the company's products without identifying contents that pose a threat to consumers, as long as they're drinking in moderation.

"A 16-ounce Monster Energy drink contains approximately 160 milligrams of caffeine from all sources -- less than half the caffeine of a medium coffee sold in a coffee house," according to a company statement.

The drink maker pointed out that Health Canada research had determined that consuming 400 mg of caffeine on a daily basis did not heighten risks of toxicity or cardiovascular damage.

According to published reports, one of Morgan's clients admitted downing four cans of Monster Energy every day for 10 years to get a big caffeine kick -- and then blamed the product when he was stricken with kidney disease.

Monster Energy has been the target of multiple lawsuits. In 2012, a Hagerstown, Maryland, family sued the company in Riverside County Superior Court after their 14-year-old daughter died in December 2011 from a massive heart attack. The plaintiffs blamed the fact she had slugged two 24-ounce Monster colas that did not bear labels warning of potential adverse effects from excess consumption.

The suit was settled out of court three years later. The terms were not disclosed.

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– By City News Service. Image via Mike Mozart on Flickr.