DC Whistleblower Attorney
Qui tam lawsuits are civil lawsuits brought under the False Claims Act which are initiated by a whistleblower who comes before and discloses fraud against the government. The lawsuit is filed in order to get the money back.
Qui tam cases are a powerful way for whistleblowers to help the government stop many kinds of fraud – Medicare and Medicaid fraud, defense contractor fraud and numerous other types of frauds that impact the government financially – and recover billions that have been improperly taken from the government. Whistleblowers under the False Claims Act are entitled to job protection and a portion of the recovery for their efforts and their willingness to come forward.
If you have strong evidence of fraud against the government and you want to seek justice you need to find a lawyer to represent you. Thorough research should be done and careful consideration should be given to your decision about which lawyer to hire. The success of the qui tam case will depend, in large part, on how the evidence and the claim is presented to the government. Your lawyer matters.
Under the provisions of the False Claims Act, a private citizen may sue an individual or a business that is defrauding the government and recover funds on the government’s behalf. Initially, the “qui tam” lawsuit is filed under seal. This means it is kept secret from everyone but the government. The purpose behind this rule is to give the Justice Department time to investigate the allegations. Even the entity or person(s) being accused of fraud is not initially told about the qui tam lawsuit. The lawsuit and supporting documents must provide the government with very detailed information about the fraud. The statute provides that the lawsuit will be sealed for 60 days, but courts generally extend the seal several times upon the government’s request, to allow sufficient time for the government to investigate and decide to join the case. Government investigations can take several years.
The government intervenes in only a small percentage of qui tam lawsuits. Although whistleblowers have the option under the False Claims Act to pursue qui tam cases on their own, the chances of success are much higher when the government joins the case.
There are many types of Qui Tam fraud cases, here are a few:
- Fraud in Pharmaceutical Industry
- Fraud in Medical Devices
- Fraud at Nursing Homes, Hospitals and Rehabilitation Centers; and
- Defense Industry Fraud
If you have questions or want more information please call 202-335-0185 or email our DC whistleblower lawyers at Bertram & Murphy to learn more.
