Fort Lauderdale Whistleblower Lawyer
Employees with knowledge of their company’s fraudulent acts against a government agency may be able to be rewarded for sharing the information with the government. Whistleblowers benefit from the False Claims Act in that they can sue on behalf of the government and receive a percentage of hte damages. This is called a qui tam claim. Contact our experienced Fort Lauderdale whistleblower lawyers for more information today.
How Much Does a Whistleblower Stand to Earn?
If the lawsuit is successful, the typical amount that a whistleblower can expect to collect is 15-25 percent of the profit. Normally there are multiple employees involved in a whistleblower suit, though that is not always the case. For example, a UBS employee earned $104 million when they revealed that their employer was committing tax fraud. In 2009 a group of Pfizer employees were given $102 million for revealing their employer’s illegal promotion of an arthritis drug.
Another notorious whistleblower case took place right here in Florida. In 2014 a single person was awarded $20.8 million out of an $85 million settlement for shedding light on the fraudulent operations of Halifax Hospital Medical Center in Daytona. The hospital had violated the False Claims Act and the Stark Law by overcharging Medicare. Halifax had been overpaying physicians, overcharging for tests and prescription drugs, and charging Medicare for unnecessary procedures and medical services.
The False Claims Act
Enacted to discourage fraud within corporate America, the False Claims Act is one of taxpayers’ most useful tools to diminish government waste from corporate exploitations. Employees act as eyes on the inside of every company and stand to gain large rewards if they aid in a whistleblower case. The threat alone is enough to discourage some companies from trying to get away with fraud. Contact our Fort Lauderdale whistleblower claims lawyers.
There are protections for employees under the Whistleblower Protection Act to stop employers from taking adverse action against the blower. Employers are never allowed to retaliate or make other harmful actions to whistleblowers.
Whistleblower cases branch 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 Fort Lauderdale?
Corporate fraud is vast and the ways it is carried out are seemingly endless. If you have knowledge that your employer is deceiving their customers illegally or overcharging a government agency, contact us immediately. Our Fort Lauderdale whistleblower claims lawyers at The Pendas Law Firm will give you the protection you need and will work tirelessly to ensure your civil service does not go unrewarded.