A whistleblower attorney helps members of the community who wish to hold a company accountable under the False Claims Act. Many plaintiffs are employees of unethical companies and wish to come forward to reveal one or more acts of fraud. There are several federal whistleblowing programs operating under the Claims Act, and a good attorney will help individuals throughout the process. Without the assistance of an experienced whistleblower attorney, the False Claims Act can be overwhelmingly confusing.
What is the purpose of the False Claims Act?
The U.S. government reports that it is defrauded of around 10% of its federal budget every year. In an effort to identify offenders and recover these stolen funds, Congress passed the False Claims Act. The Act empowers whistleblowers to come forward with complaints against companies that may be defrauding a federally regulated agency or program.
With the assistance of our whistleblower attorney in Decatur GA, you can file a claim under the False Claims Act for any of the following:
- Medicare fraud
- Medicaid fraud
- Defense contractor fraud
Is there a financial incentive for whistleblowers to come forward and file a claim?
As part of the False Claims Act legislation, a whistleblower is eligible to receive 10%-30% of the funds recovered by the government, thanks to the claim they filed. The claim is referred to as a “qui tam lawsuit.” When a company defrauds the federal government, it is liable for three times the amount of money it stole from the government. They may also have to pay civil penalties of $11,000-$22,000 for each violation. In this way, if a contractor fraudulently invoices the government once per week, they are liable for up to $22,000 for each invoice. This can result in a significant financial award to the whistleblower. Though there is a fair amount of paperwork and legal hoops that must be jumped through to complete the lawsuit process, a whistleblower attorney will make sure that all requirements are met to comply with the False Claims Act.
Protection for Whistleblowers from Retaliation
A primary reason for the financial compensation awarded to whistleblowers for a successful qui tam lawsuit is an acknowledgement of the risks they face for coming forward. They might be subject to harassment, being fired, a demotion, or other form of retaliation. Your whistleblower attorney can provide you with detailed information about protection against retaliation that is included in the False Claims Act legislation. In addition to receiving their whistleblower award, they may be eligible to receive the following if they experience retaliation:
- Recovery of punitive damages from their employer.
- Reinstatement to their job if they had been demoted.
- Back pay for benefits and lost wages if they were terminated.
- Recovery of compensatory damages such as emotional distress and humiliation.
If you wish to explore your options for whistleblowing regarding a company’s wrongdoing against the federal government, contact a lawyer, like a whistleblower retaliation claim lawyer in Washington DC from Eric Siegel Law. He or she can provide you the information you need to know about the False Claims Act in full confidentiality.