National Whistleblower Firm (Qui Tam)
Whistleblowers have recovered millions of dollars by doing the right thing and coming forward with information about company fraud. The False Claims Act allows whistleblowers to sue companies that defraud the government (known as a “Qui Tam” lawsuit). Qui Tams are filed under seal in federal court and investigated by the Department of Justice. If the lawsuit is successful, the whistleblower will receive between 15 and 30 percent of the recovery.
The most common Qui Tam lawsuits are against hospitals, drug companies, and defense contractors, but may involve other types of entities as well.
For an individual who learns that a company, often his or her employer, is engaged in fraud on the government, whether it’s Medicare Fraud, Defense Contractor Fraud, Mortgage or other Financial Fraud, or otherwise, the decision to blow the whistle can be overwhelming. Your reputation, your career and sometimes your safety may be at risk. To challenge fraud under the False Claims Act, and protect yourself, the best thing to do is contact an attorney to discuss your case as soon as possible.
If you have information regarding fraud on the government, you may have a qui tam case under the False Claims Act and you could be rewarded for reporting it. Call now for a consultation at (877) 417-8324.
20 Common False Claims Act Violations- Company taking money from a government program to do something and then not doing it.
- Company falsely certifying it provided a good or service to the government that it did not provide (i.e. Company has contract to provide 1000 tanks to the government, but only provided 800).
- Receiving an overpayment from the government and not returning it.
- Overcharging or double-charging the government.
- Doctor having a financial relationship with a hospital or clinic while billing Medicare for the treatment (i.e. Doctor gets 10% of profits from hospital or lab).
- Doctor paid by drug company for writing prescriptions, or paid by treatment company for making referrals for treatment.
- False advertising: i.e. claiming drug is not additive and has no side effects, when it does.
- Lying to government in any way.
- Medically unnecessary treatment (i.e. ambulances, lab tests, meds, surgeries).
- Contractor charging government more than private clients (i.e. offering discounts to private clients but not the government for same rate for goods or services).
- Data security breaches with patient information.
- Collusive bidding on federal contracts by contractors.
- Companies wining and dining, or providing anything of value to doctors (i.e. Pharmaceutical company providing expensive vacations to doctors to get them to make referrals or prescribe medication).
- Illegally paying patient co-pays for Medicare.
- Receiving grant money in programs when the company was not eligible for funding (i.e. large company of 1,000 employees applying for small business loan that was only for small companies with less than 250 employees).
- Quotas by schools and colleges which pay bonuses to recruiters for enrolling a certain number of students.
- Coronavirus fraud in obtaining funding, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), coronavirus testing, respirators, or other items provided by the government.
- Ordering medical tests that are not based on medical needs (i.e. a clinic orders a drug test for every patient, even if it is not called for under the circumstances, and then sticks Medicare with the bill).
- Billing Medicare for treatment that was supposed to be performed by a doctor, but the treatment was really performed by a nurse or non-physician.
- Providing sub-standard goods or services to the government after certifying that the goods or services met the appropriate government standards.
If you observed any of these fraud violations, you should not be afraid to come forward. You are doing your country a service by being a whistleblower, and you may be substantially compensated with an award for your information. Call now for a consultation with an attorney at (877) 417-8324.
Factors Affecting Whistleblower AwardMultiple factors contribute to how much a whistleblower receives from a successful case that has recovered funds, including:
- Amount Recovered. Whistleblower recovers 15-30% of the amount recovered. The better your information is, the greater the percentage you will receive.
- Timeliness. Generally, your case is stronger when the fraud is new and fresh. Therefore, the sooner you report fraud, the more relevant your case. You also want to make sure you are the first to file your whistleblower claim, before one of your co-workers reports the fraud and claims sole credit for the case. Only the first whistleblower to file a case is entitled to an award.
- Usefulness of your information. The better the information is that you have, the stronger your case will be. Usually, whistleblowers who are employed in a position where they can directly observe the fraud have the best cases.
Call now to discuss your case with an attorney at (877) 417-8324.