The federal False Claims Act allows for actions against individuals who have committed fraud against the federal government. Certain laws encourage whistleblowers to report fraud against the government and protect them from retaliation when they step forward. Actions against people and companies who commit fraud against the government are called qui tam lawsuits, and if successful, the whistleblower may be entitled to receive a portion of the recovery made by the government. A whistleblower lawyer can help those exposing fraud to navigate the often complex nature of qui tam lawsuits.
For more information, contact Attorney Group today. We offer free, confidential, no obligation consultations. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated whistleblower lawyer who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What Are Whistleblower Lawsuits?
Successful qui tam lawsuits have been brought by whistleblowers and their lawyers against many types of individuals, including nurses, doctors, research scientists, defense contractors, and others. Anyone who possesses inside knowledge about a fraud committed against the government can file a qui tam lawsuit. In the past, cases have been brought for:
- Falsifying search results
- Making false statements to avoid paying a debt to the government
- Preparing false statements or records to get a fraudulent claim paid
- Billing for services not provided or goods not received
- Overbilling the government for services or goods
- Manipulating procedures such as unbundling billing codes in an attempt to overcharge the government
Recent amendments made to the False Claims Act have encouraged whistleblower lawsuits, removed judicially-imposed impediments to private whistleblower actions, and increased the pool of potential defendants. Most recently, Congress enhanced the Securities and Exchange Commission’s program with the adoption of the Consumer Protection Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform.
There is also a law that rewards whistleblowers for reporting tax cheats. Under the Internal Revenue Service’s program, a whistleblower may receive between 15 and 30 percent of the amount that the IRS collects as a result of information provided about tax fraud.
How Can a Whistleblower Lawyer Help?
Those who are considering filing a qui tam lawsuit may wish to seek legal counsel from a whistleblower lawyer who can bring:
- Internal Revenue Service whistleblower claims
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission whistleblower claims under the Dodd-Frank Act
- Securities and Exchange Commission whistleblower claims under the Dodd-Frank Act for foreign and U.S. citizens
- Qui tam cases involving defense contractor fraud, pharmaceutical fraud, Medicare fraud, and other types of fraud against the government under state false claims laws and the U.S. False Claims Act
Both federal and state False Claims Acts prohibit an employer from retaliating against or harassing an employee for reporting or attempting to uncover fraud against the government. If retaliation does occur, the whistleblower may be awarded back pay, attorney fees, and litigation costs.
People wishing to expose government fraud are encouraged to seek the advice of a whistleblower lawyer to learn more about their rights and how the law can protect them.
The time you have to pursue a claim is limited. Contact us for more information.Get Help Now.
For more information, contact Attorney Group. When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
