5 Things You Need to Know About Qui Tam Lawsuits from a whistleblower attorney in nashville8/23/2023
Call Timothy L. Miles, a whistleblower attorney in Nashville, if you are thinking about blowing the whistle
What Is a Qui Tam Lawsuit?
A qui tam lawsuit is a type of whistleblower lawsuit in which an employee or contractor, called a “relator” in legal terms, brings suit on behalf of the government. These suits are also referred to as whistleblower lawsuits. They typically involve the detection and reporting of false claims against the government (fraud against the government) by the company's owners. An employee blowing the whistle on their employer and bringing suit on behalf of the government so they can recover related damages is called a Whistleblower Lawsuit. Successful whistleblowers are entitled to receive up to 30% of the damages and penalties recovered by the government as a result of their actions. Below are more details about these types of lawsuits, including eligibility requirements, possible risks, and examples of qui tam cases that have resulted in a significant whistleblower award.
Requirements to File a Qui Tam Lawsuit
First, you should know several conditions must be met for you to file a qui tam action. First, the fraud must have been committed against the government, agencies, or programs. The most obvious and common examples of this type of fraud include Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud, and defense contractor fraud. Second, you must be an employee or contractor who was or is involved with the government contract in question. In other words, this means you must have firsthand knowledge of the actual fraud committed against the government to be eligible to file a qui tam lawsuit. Finally, you must file the action within 6 years of the time you first learned about the fraud. This is called the statute of limitations, and it applies to every qui tam action.
Possible Risks in Filing a Qui Tam Lawsuit
There are several possible risks involved in filing a qui tam lawsuit, including the following. You may experience retaliation in the form of a decrease in pay or other employment benefits. You may also face other forms of retaliation from your employer, such as being demoted or fired. However, these risks are minimized because the government affords certain protections for whistleblowers. The False Claims Act protects against retaliation: Whistleblowers may not be harassed, threatened, demoted, fired, or otherwise discriminated against because of their decision to come forward. Other risks include receiving a lower financial award if you are successful in your lawsuit. This is where an experienced whistleblower attorney in Nashville can help. If you are considering blowing the whistle but have concerns, talk to a whistleblower attorney in Nashville who can further explain the process and the merits of your case.
Examples of Whistleblower Awards
These are a few examples of whistleblower award cases that have resulted in significant whistleblower awards. As a reward for blowing the whistle on GlaxoSmithKline in 2012, four whistleblowers split an estimated $250 million reward. As part of a larger, $16.65 billion payout, whistleblowers shared a $170 million reward for exposing Bank of America's fraudulent practice of labeling high-risk mortgages as safe and selling them to government-insured mortgage companies. In 2012, Johnson & Johnson paid $2.2 billion to settle off-label fraud and kickback allegations related to the prescription drugs Risperdal, Natrecor and Invega. The whistleblower received $167 million in rewards. Tenet Healthcare paid $900 million to settle allegations that it engaged in bill padding, upcoded DRG codes, paid kickbacks and fraudulently manipulated Medicare outlier payments. For reporting the fraud, the whistleblower received $150 million in 2006. Ask a whistleblower attorney in Nashville more about whistleblower awards.
Conclusion
If you work in a government contracting company and have knowledge of fraud committed against the government, you can file a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the government. Such lawsuits are also referred to as whistleblower lawsuits. If your qui tam action is successful, you will receive a percentage of the damages recovered by the government as a result of your action. Contact Timothy L. Miles a whistleblower attorney in Nashville today if you are thinking about blowing the whistle. The call is free and so is the fee unless we win or settle your case, so call today and see what a whistleblower attorney in Nashville can do for you.
NASHVILLE WHISTLEBLOWER ATTORNEY TIMOTHY L. MILESNashville attorney Timothy L. Miles is a nationally recognized shareholder rights attorney raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Miles has dedicated his career to representing shareholders, employees, and consumers in complex class-action litigation. Whether serving as lead, co-lead, or liaison counsel, Mr. Miles has helped recover hundreds of millions of dollars for defrauded investors,shaped precedent-setting decisions, and delivered real corporate governance reforms. Judges and peers have repeatedly recognized Mr. Miles’ relentless advocacy for the underdog, as well as his unbendable ethical standards. Mr. Miles was recently selected by Martindale-Hubbell® and ALM as a 2022 Top Ranked Lawyer, 2022 Top Rated Litigator. and a 2022 Elite Lawyer of the South. Mr. Miles also maintains the AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, their highest rating for both legal ability and ethics. Mr. Miles is a member of the prestigious Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers: The National Trial Lawyers Association,Class Action: Class Action: Top 9National Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Association (2023), a superb ratedattorney by Avvo, a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by Premier Lawyers of America (2019) and recognized as a Distinguished Lawyer, Recognizing Excellence in Securities Law, by Lawyers of Distinction (2019); a Top Rated Litigator by Martindale-Hubbell® and ALM (2019-2022); America’s Most Honored Lawyers 2020 – Top 1% by America’s Most Honored (2020-2022). Mr. Miles has published over sixty articles on various issues of the law, including class actions, whistleblower cases, products liability, civil procedure, derivative actions, corporate takeover litigation, corporate formation, mass torts, dangerous drugs, and more. Please visit our website or call for free anytime. Comments are closed.
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