False Claims Act and Qui Tam Lawsuits

Ordinary US citizens are empowered by a federal law to prevent and expose illegality and fraud against the government. The Federal False Claims Act is a whistleblower protection law that permits citizens to expose “any person who knowingly represents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval or knowingly makes, uses, or causes to be made or sue, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim.” In plain English citizens can report fraud and bills for illegal payments against the government.

In the law, such false claim lawsuits are termed “qui tam,” litigation. That is a Latin abbreviation of a phrase meaning if a citizen sues on behalf of the government, that citizen is entitled to act for himself. The reason for that description of false claim or qui tam lawsuits is the citizen can be awarded claims based on his/her successful lawsuit against those who commit fraud against the government. These are some of the more common types of qui tam lawsuits:

• Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Fraud
• Mortgage, Banking & Finance Fraud
• Fraud in Public Education
• Fraud by Military/Defense Contractors

When a named defendant is declared guilty of fraud against the US government, the court can award up to three times the damages sustained by the government plus attorneys’ fees and costs, and the citizen who brought the information of fraud to the authorities may be entitled to up to 30 percent of that amount. That citizen is called a “relator.”

The federal False Claims Act prohibits retaliation against a citizen {or employee} by the federal contractor or employer. Protections include no harassment, threats, suspension, demotion, or termination for providing information against the perpetrator.

The Tarshish Cody PLC law firm is experienced in pursuing legal claims on behalf of citizens and employees who are whistleblowers. You can schedule a free initial consultation to discuss the specifics of your case. We welcome your call today at 952-361-5556 (or fill out the free case evaluation form below) to help you through the legal issues of yourFalse Claims Act and Qui Tam case.

Attorney Practicing In This Area

Kyle Kosieracki