You have a story to tell. Something is wrong at work. You know it. You know that what is happening isn’t right and isn’t fair. Someone should do something about it. You. With the help of an experienced whistleblower litigation lawyer, you can bring fraud to light without endangering yourself and without having to pay legal fees.
Fraud is known by many names and comes in many forms: False claims, overbilling, upcoding, unbundling, kickbacks, and false certification. But they all have one thing in common. The individuals and companies that commit fraud are cheating federal and state governments. And when that happens, we all pay the price.
At Thornton Law Firm LLP, we listen to you. Call 1-888-491-9726 for a free consultation with a recognized leader in whistleblower litigation. You can also contact us online to see how we can help you.
Kinds of fraud
Although federal and state governments are the victims of numerous kinds of fraud, the majority of fraud cases involve Medicare, Medicaid, healthcare, and defense contracts. Bad actors in these fields commonly take advantage of complicated billing schemes or large contracts to hide their fraud.
But big or small, fraudulent claims add up. Hundreds of cases are filed with the federal government each year, leading to more than $10 billion in recoveries.
Anti-fraud laws
Those who report fraud, known in legal terms as relators (rhymes with “relay”), and commonly as whistleblowers, have some of the most powerful and effective laws in the country on their side. The Federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, which provides the legal framework for claims alleging fraud against the federal government, does several important things for a whistleblower:
- Provides specific protection for the whistleblower from discharge, demotion, suspension, threats, or other harassment or discrimination that the whistleblower may encounter due to lawful actions were taken in the furtherance of a whistleblower claim, if the employee still works for the employer; 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h)
- Provides for filing a whistleblower complaint under seal, which means that no one other than the government, not even the defendants alleged to have committed the fraud, can know of the complaint until after the government has investigated the claims; 31 U.S.C. §3730(b)(2)
- Allows the whistleblower to share from 15 percent and up to 25 percent of the entire government’s successful recovery. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(d)
Eleven states and the District of Columbia also have their own false claim acts that closely resemble the federal act.
What you need to know
Contingent fee representation
Whistleblower laws allow for the contingent fee representation of whistleblowers. What’s more, the Federal False Claims Act also provides that whistleblower attorney fees are paid by the entity that committed the fraud in the event of a government recovery. This means that you pay no out-of-pocket expenses to have an attorney represent you. We are only paid if we recover on the claim.
Who can be a whistleblower?
Anyone. It is possible for anyone who knows of fraud against the government to become a whistleblower. Typically, individuals who know about fraud are employees or former employees of the companies committing the fraud.
Employees or former employees may have the best evidence to support their claim.
Only the first whistleblower to file can recover
There can only be one whistleblower claim based on specific information. The first to file a claim about a particular fraud preempts other whistleblowers and their claims. In addition, you cannot bring a whistleblower complaint if information about the fraud becomes public before you bring a claim.
Thornton Law Firm whistleblower litigation lawyers
Trust Massachusetts fraud attorneys to help
Contact the Boston law firm of Thornton Law Firm online or at 1-888-491-9726 for a free consultation with a recognized leader in whistleblower litigation. You have nothing to risk. We offer a fair and accurate assessment of your case.
