A plaintiff named “Diane” has reportedly filed a claim against Monster Beverage Corp., blaming the company’s energy drinks as the reason for the death of a victim named as “Uncle Rickie.” The 59-year-old man was an aficionado of Jager Bombs made with Monster Energy, and Uncle Rickie had already had a couple when he died. Diane said that she knows “for a damn fact” that it was the energy drinks that did him in.
Before we delve into this compelling case, which was first reported by LawyersandSettlments.com, let’s take a couple steps back and chat about Jager Bombs for a minute.
The original Jager Bomb is an alcoholic drink created when a shot of Jägermeister, a licorice-flavored liqueur, is dropped into a glass of beer. The resulting swill is often chugged as quickly as possible, and to the uninitiated, consumption of the “cocktail” often results in a rapid state of inebriation. For those who wield a bit more experience with Jager Bombs, it might take two or three of the drinks to hit the floor.
The wily and wild youth (and, in the case of Uncle Rickie, former youth) have taken to making Jager Bombs with popular energy drinks, including Red Bull and Monster Energy, instead of beer. The caffeinated combination is said to counter the depressing effects of alcohol and offer a unique “high.”
According to the Internet’s bastion of intelligence, Wikipedia, these mixtures have hip and happening names like “Turbojäger” and “Flying Hirsch” — at least they do in German-speaking countries. But, like all super cool trends, like your mom friending your girlfriend on Facebook, Jager Bombs made with energy drinks have apparently found their way to Uncle Rickie’s generation.
H
owever, some trends (yes, even those that involve high levels of caffeine and alcohol) might lead to tragic consequences. Working five to six days a week as a machine operator, according to the lawsuit, Uncle Rickie consumed Jager Bombs nearly every Saturday night, including the evening when he died, according to his niece. In what is a pretty mind-boggling off-label use, Diane also told LawyersandSettlments.com that her uncle drank Monster “to relax, to wind down.”“My mother was sitting with Uncle Rickie at the kitchen table – they both lived in my grandmother’s house,” Diane said. “She told us that our uncle leaned over the table and she thought he just passed out. When she checked on him a few hours later, he was gone. They were both drinking Jägermeister mixed with Monster – which they did just about every Saturday night. I don’t know how many Jaegers he drank that night but he likely drank two or three of the big cans – either the 24-ounce or the 32-ounce Monster Energy BFC.”
Diane said that the medical examiner told her that Uncle Rickie’s heart stopped, and she blames his consumption of Monster as the reason why. She noted Uncle Rickie was fine up until that evening and that that there is no history of heart problems in her family.
“Saturday was always Rickie’s day to hang out with family at the house. He only drank Jager and those stupid Monster drinks,” Diane said. “I know for a damn fact that he died from drinking too much of that Monster Energy drink.”
In other news, somewhere near Corona, Calif., Rodney Sacks has apparently applied for a gun permit.
