CLASS ACTIONS LAWSUITS:
WHISTLEBLOWER & QUI TAM
Whistleblowers are protected under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et. seq., specifically because of the “qui tam” provision of the Act. This provision states that any citizen or entity may bring suit if they have evidence of any type of fraudulent claims against the government (excluding tax fraud). The United States government has the right to join the private party in suit, but if the government declines to join, the private party has a right to proceed with the case.
Originally created in the 1800’s, the United States reinstated and strengthened the False Claims Act in 1986 to help their effort of eliminating the rampant amount of fraudulent acts against the government. The main goal of the act is to not only discourage fraud and retrieve taxpayer funds unlawfully taken as a result of the fraud, but to also protect the whistleblower from any retaliation or discrimination. Examples of False Claim Act violations include Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud, and defense contractor fraud. Provisions for the whistleblower can include reinstatement of their position, if needed, and whistleblowers may receive compensation for uncovering fraud.
Whistleblowers are protected under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et. seq., by the “qui tam” provision of the Act. This provision states that any citizen or entity may bring suit if they have evidence of any type of fraudulent activity against the government (excluding tax fraud). Upon filing, the United States has the right to pursue the case instead of the private party, but if the government declines to do so, the private party has a right to proceed with the case.
Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer actively pursues claims on behalf of any party who has information of alleged fraud against the United States.
Your Legal Rights
If you believe that you have information relating to the submission of false or fraudulent claims to the United States, please fill out a free case evaluation form or contact us at 1-800-955-0815 to speak with an attorney experienced in qui tam matters.
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