There may be a time when you know that an individual or company is engaging in unfair business practices, and you’re unsure what you can do about it.
If that wrongdoing includes making misrepresentations relating in any way to people, programs, institutions, or businesses that knowingly ask the United States or Florida governments for payment, then you may have a claim known as a qui tam or whistleblower claim. Some examples of potential whistleblower claims include:
- Reporting on Ponzi schemes
- Company’s financial misrepresentations to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- Healthcare double-billing
- Doctor falsification of records for Medicare reimbursement
- Hospital’s untruthful reporting on claims for federal insurance and Medicare
- College falsifying enrollment records to get federal loan money
- Educational grant fraud
- Loan fraud
- Defense contract fraud
- Mortgage fraud
- Kickbacks
- False medical certifications
- Lack of medical necessity relating to health care requests
These claims are brought under the U.S. False Claims Act or the Florida False Claims Act. You may be able to bring the claim on behalf of the government, which makes you entitled to a percentage of the money recovered. In many cases, that can be millions of dollars depending on the claim. The damages for a violation of these acts can include:
- Fines: The company committing fraud may be fined for their violations.
- Whistleblower Awards: The person bringing the whistleblower action may be entitled to a whistleblower award.
- A Potential Claim for Wrongful Termination: The False Claims Act provides protection to whistleblowers from retaliation by their employers.
It is very important to be aware of the procedures before talking with people other than an experienced unfair business practices lawyer about the claim. If you disclose the information to the wrong person, you may waive your right to bring the claim and hurt the ability of the government to recover the money. It is a specialized area of law that is usually brought in federal court. Our lawyers have extensive federal court experience and know how to prosecute a qui tam lawsuit and whistleblower cases. We have been involved in multiple qui tam claims that led to the successful recovery of money for both our clients and the government.
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