West Palm Beach Whistleblower Lawyer
An employee of a company who has knowledge that their employer is committing fraud against a government agency can sue on behalf of the government and collect a percentage of the damages recovered, made possible by the False Claims Act. This is sometimes referred to as a qui tam claim. Contact our West Palm Beach whistleblower claims lawyers.
Typically, a whistleblower can expect to collect 15-25 percent of the profit in the suit, if it is successful. As an example, a group of Pfizer employees were awarded $102 million in 2009 for bringing to light their company’s illegal promotion of an arthritis drug. In the single largest-earning case for an individual blower, a UBS employee won $104 million when he revealed that his company was committing tax fraud.
Florida is home to a well-known whistleblower case that made headlines in 2014. The whistleblower filed a lawsuit against the Halifax Hospital Medical Center in Daytona for violating the False Claims Act and the Stark Law. Halifax violated the Stark Law, which limits certain physician referrals, by overcharging Medicare. Halifax did this by overpaying certain physicians, overcharging for tests, overcharging for prescription drugs, and charging Medicare for unnecessary medical services. The whistleblower that lead the lawsuit won $20.8 million out of the $85 million settlement.
False Claims Act and Whistleblowing
The False Claims Act was enabled to discourage fraud within corporate America. Because employees—people on the inside—stand to gain large sums of money if they find out that their employers are doing business illegally, it is harder to get away with these fraudulent acts. It is one of the most useful tools taxpayers have to diminish government waste and corporate fraud. In addition, there are various protections in place under the Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure that the employer will not take adverse actions against the blower. To be sure, employers may not retaliate against whistleblowers, or take other harmful actions.
Whistleblower cases can stem from:
- IRS fraud or tax evasion;
- Overbilling Medicare;
- Overbilling Medicaid;
- TARP funds fraud;
- Mortgage fraud;;
- Failing to pay overtime benefits;
- Defense contract overcharging;
- Aerospace contract over-billing;
- Pharmaceutical or health care fraud;
- Violations of workplace safety and lack of injury reports;
- Consumer product fraud;
- Environmental crimes;
- Food safety violations;
- Motor vehicle safety violations;
- Airline violations; and
- Financial reform violations.
Do You Need Help with a Whistleblower Case in West Palm Beach?
The ways an employer can defraud the government are almost endless. If you believe that you have intimate knowledge that your employer is over-billing a government agency or illegally deceiving their customers or employees, contact us immediately. The Pendas Law Firm in West Palm Beach will work tirelessly with you to ensure you receive your reward for your public service, and we will give you the protection you require throughout the proceedings. Contact our West Palm Beach whistleblower lawyers today.