Gabapentin and Dementia Lawsuits in California

California patients who have been diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment after long-term use of name-brand or generic gabapentin may qualify to file a product liability lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturers with the help of our gabapentin lawsuit lawyers.

Dementia and cognitive impairment claims involving gabapentin, which is sold under the brand name Neurontin, are currently moving forward as individual lawsuits.

Those who may qualify to file lawsuits include patients who were prescribed gabapentin six or more times, the families of patients diagnosed prior to age 65, and surviving relatives.

The central allegation of gabapentin lawsuits is that the drug’s manufacturers failed to warn patients or prescribers about cognitive risks.

Call our experienced dangerous drug lawyers today for a FREE prescription history review at (800) 718-4658 or contact us if you or a loved one developed dementia, Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment after long-term use of name-brand or generic gabapentin. We have been representing victims of dangerous medications since 1990 and will charge you no legal fee until we win your case. Don’t wait, as legal deadlines could limit your ability to recover compensation. Call us today, as the sooner you call us, the sooner we can begin to fight on your behalf.

Table of Contents

• Do You Qualify for a Gabapentin Dementia Lawsuit in California?
• Does Gabapentin Cause Dementia?
• Gabapentin Side Effects in Seniors and Adults Under 65
• Neurontin and Dementia Claims
• Failure to Warn Claims Against Gabapentin Manufacturers
• Who Can Be Sued in a Gabapentin Dementia Case?
• What a Gabapentin Dementia Claim Can Recover
• Is There a Gabapentin Class Action Lawsuit?
• Gabapentin Settlements and Verdicts
• Have Your Gabapentin Prescription History Reviewed
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Earlier Gabapentin Litigation Updates

Do You Qualify for a Gabapentin Dementia Lawsuit in California?

Patients who were prescribed gabapentin and later received a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment may qualify to file a lawsuit with the help of our gabapentin lawyers. Spouses, children and estate representatives may also qualify to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

You may qualify to file a lawsuit if you:

• Received six or more prescriptions of gabapentin
• Were diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment after sustained use of the drug
• Received a diagnosis prior to a typical age range, especially under the age of 65
• Have pharmacy and medical records which connect your prescriptions to your diagnosis

It may strengthen your claim if you were prescribed the drug for something not listed on the drug’s label. The off-label use of gabapentin includes the treatment of anxiety, migraines, sleep problems and back pain. Gabapentin’s label fails to warn about dementia risks linked with off-label use.

Residents of California who were prescribed the drug by an in-state provider may be able to file a lawsuit in California even if the drug’s manufacturer is based somewhere else.

There is a time limit to file a gabapentin lawsuit. This time limit is called a statute of limitations. The time limit varies by state.

In California, the time limit is two years from the date you became aware or should have known that gabapentin caused cognitive harm.

There are exceptions to the time limit, some which may shorten it. Call us today for a FREE consultation so evidence can be preserved and your lawsuit can be filed in time.

Does Gabapentin Cause Dementia?

Multiple large studies have linked repeated prescriptions of gabapentin with higher rates of dementia and mild cognitive impairment. The studies have established association, not causation.

Researchers point to the drug’s effects on calcium channel activity and nerve signal transmission as the proposed mechanism for cognitive harm.

Adults with normal cognitive function showed measurable cognitive decline within two years of using gabapentin, according to data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center.

What the 2025 Chronic Low Back Pain Study Found

A 2025 study published in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine linked gabapentin with a higher dementia risk in chronic pain patients.

Patients who received six or more gabapentin prescriptions were found to have a 29 percent increased risk of dementia, and were found to be 85 percent more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment.

Patients who received 12 or more prescriptions of the drug were found to have a 40 percent increased risk of dementia and a 65 percent increased risk of mild cognitive impairment compared with those who were prescribed the drug three to 11 times.

The study matched 26,416 gabapentin patients against 26,416 patients who did not take the drug.

What the 2026 Gabapentinoid Meta-Analysis Found

A meta-analysis published in Drugs and Aging found that gabapentinoid use was linked with a 28 percent higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.

The meta-analysis pooled five studies which covered 325,245 participants.

Gabapentin Side Effects in Seniors and Adults Under 65

Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine linked gabapentin use in adults ages 35 to 49 with a 144 percent higher chance of developing dementia and a 250 percent higher chance of developing mild cognitive impairment.

Side effects listed on gabapentin’s label include:

• Somnolence and sedation
• Dizziness and coordination problems
• Fatigue and swelling in the extremities
• Respiratory depression (when combined with opioids or other central nervous system depressants)

Risk factors specific to older patients include:

• The drug’s label directs dose adjustment for reduced renal function, which declines with age, since gabapentin is cleared by the kidneys
• Sedation and balance effects may compound existing fall risks
• Use for dementia’s behavioral symptoms, an indication not approved by the label, which overlaps with nursing home neglect claims

The drug’s label does not carry a warning connecting it with dementia or long-term cognitive decline.

California’s 2026 Alzheimer’s Association fact sheet reports that there were 719,700 residents aged 65 or older who were living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020, corresponding to around 12 percent of that age group, or about one in eight.

Gabapentin Memory Loss and Early Warning Signs

Complaints of memory loss related to gabapentin typically surface well prior to a formal diagnosis being made. They are often attributed to normal aging or an underlying pain condition.

Symptoms that patients and families report include:

• Trouble recalling recent conversations or appointments
• Problems with word-finding and slowed processing
• Disorientation in settings that are familiar
• Difficulty independently managing finances or medications

A study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology found that initiation of gabapentin use was associated with a 55 percent higher chance of a worsening Clinical Dementia Rating global score.

It matters when it is documented that symptoms started. The statute of limitations to file a gabapentin lawsuit, under California’s discovery rule, begins to run when a patient knew or should have known that gabapentin use caused cognitive decline.

Neurontin and Dementia Claims

Neurontin is the brand-name version of gabapentin. It is not a separate medication. It has the same active ingredient and carries the same cognitive risk as found in the above research.

Neurontin was developed by Parke-Davis, a division of Warner-Lambert. The FDA approved Neurontin in 1993 as an add-on treatment for partial-onset seizures. The agency added postherpetic neuralgia (shingles-related nerve pain) in 2002.

Warner-Lambert eventually pleaded guilty, paying over $430 million to resolve Department of Justice criminal charges as well as civil liabilities regarding the promotion of Neurontin for off-label uses.

Sales representatives directly pitched off-label uses to physicians, making false or misleading statements about the efficacy and FDA approval status of the drug.

This campaign drove a pattern of off-label, long-term prescriptions of the drug to treat pain, psychiatric and sleep conditions.

Additional branded gabapentin formulations include Gralise and Horizant.

Pregabalin, sold as Lyrica, belongs to the same class of drugs, gabapentinoids, investigated by the Drugs and Aging meta-analysis.

You may qualify to file a lawsuit if you were prescribed name-brand or generic gabapentin, since innovator liability in California allows for generic drug lawsuits to be filed against the brand-name manufacturers responsible for generic drugs’ labels.

Failure to Warn Claims Against Gabapentin Manufacturers

Lawsuits allege that manufacturers of gabapentin knew or should have known about neurocognitive risk associated with the drug, yet failed to warn about it on the drug’s label.

Lawsuits claim that manufacturers:

• Failed to warn patients and prescribers about risks of dementia and mild cognitive impairment
• Failed to provide long-term users with cognitive monitoring guidance
• Continued marketing the drug without updating the label even though literature linking the drug with dementia and cognitive impairment accumulated
• Misrepresented the long-term safety profile of the drug

Gabapentin product liability lawsuits are based on failure to warn and negligence causes of action, since drug manufacturers cannot be held strictly liable for design defects in California due to Brown v. Superior Court.

Who Can Be Sued in a Gabapentin Dementia Case?

Potential defendants in gabapentin dementia lawsuits include:

• Brand-name manufacturers
• Generic manufacturers
• In narrow cases, prescribers who continued to refill prescriptions despite documented cognitive decline

Generic gabapentin comes from multiple suppliers, but pharmacy records can identify what company supplied each prescription fill.

Brand-Name Manufacturers and California Innovator Liability

The California Supreme Court, in T.H. v. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., ruled that brand-name manufacturers owe a duty of ordinary care, meaning they must warn about risks associated with their drugs when a patient is dispensed a brand-name or generic medication.

The court ruled that selling the rights to a medication doesn’t automatically end a brand-name manufacturer’s liability for label deficiencies which existed prior to the sale.

Generic Manufacturers and Federal Preemption

Federal law requires that generic labels match brand-name labels. Generic manufacturers can’t add dementia warnings because of this.

PLIVA, Inc. v. Mensing held that state law failure-to-warn claims against generic manufacturers are preempted by federal regulations because it was impossible to comply with both state and federal laws.

Preemption is the reason that California generic drug lawsuits often proceed against brand-name manufacturers.

What a Gabapentin Dementia Claim Can Recover

The damages you may qualify to recover will depend entirely upon your individual medical and employment record.

Economic damages which compensation may be available for in a gabapentin dementia claim include:

• Neurological care, cognitive testing and ongoing treatment
• Memory care, in-home assistance and long-term care costs
• Lost earnings and lost earning capacity, which may be substantial for patients who are diagnosed in their 40s or 50s

Non-economic damages which compensation may be available for include:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of independence
• Diminished quality of life

Is There a Gabapentin Class Action Lawsuit?

No gabapentin class action lawsuit regarding dementia currently exists.

Our law firm is investigating potential individual lawsuits on behalf of gabapentin victims rather than filing a class action lawsuit.

We are investigating individual lawsuits instead of filing a class action lawsuit because we believe we may be able to recover more compensation for our clients via individual lawsuits.

Call us today for a FREE consultation to discuss whether filing an individual lawsuit or a class action lawsuit is right for you.

Past Neurontin Marketing Settlements (Not Dementia Claims)

Pfizer has paid over $1 billion in gabapentin-related settlements and verdicts:

• $430 million for the illegal promotion of off-label gabapentin uses
• $325 million for the defrauding of insurance companies by marketing the drug for unapproved uses
• $190 million for resolving an antitrust claim involving Neurontin
• $142 million for the off-label marketing of the drug, a verdict which was upheld by a federal court

While past results do not guarantee future outcomes, all cases are unique and results depend on cases’ specific facts, our gabapentin lawsuit attorneys will fight to recover fair compensation for you, as gabapentin lawsuits are now being investigated regarding cognitive risks.

No gabapentin dementia claims have settled or gone to verdict. The payments above resolved marketing and antitrust claims, not injury claims.

Have Your Gabapentin Prescription History Reviewed

Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has represented California drug injury victims since 1990. We handle pharmaceutical claims statewide. Our past case results include product liability and dangerous drug victories and settlements.

We offer free case reviews and represent dangerous drug victims on a contingency fee basis, meaning we will charge you no legal fee until we win your case. During your free case review, we will look at your pharmacy history and diagnosis timeline to confirm your prescription count and your filing deadline.

Records have retention limits and pharmacy data becomes more difficult to obtain as time passes, so call us today for a FREE consultation at (800) 718-4658 or contact us if you or a loved one developed dementia, Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment after long-term use of gabapentin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Neurontin the Same Drug as Gabapentin?

Yes. Neurontin is the brand-name version of gabapentin. Its active ingredient and cognitive risk are the same as found in the medical literature linking gabapentin with cognitive impairment.

The drug was developed by Warner-Lambert’s Parke-Davis division. It received FDA approval in 1993.

It is also sold as a generic medication as well as under the brand names Gralise and Horizant.

Pregabalin, sold as Lyrica, belongs to the same class of drugs known as gabapentinoids.

Warner-Lambert has agreed to plead guilty and pay over $430 million in order to resolve Department of Justice criminal charges as well as civil liabilities regarding illegal promotion of Neurontin for off-label uses.

What Is the Filing Deadline for a Gabapentin Claim in California?

The California statute of limitations for dangerous drug lawsuits is two years from the date you discover or should reasonably discover that a drug injured you.

The failure to file a lawsuit within this time limit can forever bar you from recovering compensation for your injuries.

Do I Have to Pay Anything to File a Gabapentin Lawsuit?

No. Our law firm is handling gabapentin lawsuits on a contingency fee basis, meaning we will charge you no legal fee until we win your case.

Our fee is a percentage of any compensation we recover for you.

We offer free case evaluations, which include a review of your prescription and medical records.

Earlier Gabapentin Litigation Updates

May 30, 2023 Update

A study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology found that use of gabapentin or pregabalin was linked with a 45 percent higher chance of developing dementia.

The dementia risk increased with higher doses, and the dementia risk was found to be significant in all age groups.

The risk was found to be higher in patients under the age of 50.

The study compared 34,467 patients taking gabapentin or pregabalin with 172,335 patients taking neither medication.

The researchers concluded that the drugs should be utilized with caution, especially in those who are susceptible.

June 2, 2014 Update

Pfizer Inc agreed to pay $325 million in order to resolve claims that it defrauded healthcare benefit providers such as insurers by marketing Neurontin for off-label uses.

The plaintiffs included those who reimbursed patients for or bought Neurontin or gabapentin.

On April 21, the company agreed to pay $190 million in order to settle different litigation in federal court which involved Neurontin buyers accusing the company of taking steps in order to keep generic versions of the medication off of the market.

August 31, 2005 Update

California’s Attorney General Bill Lockyer has announced that as much as $14.9 million in grants are now available as part of the 2004 Warner-Lambert settlement which resolved allegations that the company deceptively and improperly marketed off-label uses of Neurontin.

The grants represent the initial phase of a funding strategy.

The first phase focuses upon providing drug information and pharmaceutical marketing via educational campaigns which target consumers and prescribers. The goal of this phase is to improve healthcare providers’ prescribing practices and better educate consumers.

The second phase will focus upon providing information regarding psychological conditions and seizure disorders that Neurontin has been prescribed for.

May 13, 2004 Update

Warner-Lambert agreed to plead guilty and pay over $430 million in order to resolve criminal charges as well as civil liabilities in connection with the fraudulent, illegal promotion of unapproved uses of Neurontin, according to the Department of Justice.

According to the Department of Justice, Neurontin was marketed aggressively for numerous unapproved uses, including the treatment of:

• Bipolar mental disorder
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Various pain disorders
• Migraine
• Attention deficit disorder
• Restless leg syndrome
• Alcohol and drug withdrawal seizures

According to the Department of Justice, Warner-Lambert promoted the drug even after scientific studies had demonstrated it was ineffective. The company promoted Neurontin as monotherapy for epileptic seizures even after the FDA specifically rejected solo use. The company also promoted the drug for the treatment of bipolar disease even after a scientific study demonstrated that the drug worked no better or even worse than a placebo.

The company paid doctors to attend “consultants meetings” where physicians received fees for attending conferences or expensive dinners during which presentations regarding off-label uses of the drug were made, according to the Department of Justice. These events included trips to Hawaii, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and Florida as well as lavish weekends.

The company sponsored events about off-label uses of the drug, and, at at least one of these events, the company offset unfavorable remarks proposed by a speaker by having a “plant” in the audience ask questions which highlighted the drug’s benefits, according to the Department of Justice.

The company paid doctors to allow sales representatives to accompany doctors while they saw patients, with the representatives offering advice about the patient’s treatment that was biased towards using Neurontin.