Miami Whistleblower Lawyer
A whistleblower is anyone with knowledge of their company’s fraudulent acts against a government agency who takes legal action. There is an incentive for employees to keep an eye on potential corruption because whistleblowers benefit from the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act gives citizens the right to sue on behalf of the government, and in doing so receive a percentage of the damages. Taking action in this manner is called a qui tam claim. Contact our experienced Miami whistleblower lawyers for more information.
What Are the Incentives for Filing a Whistleblower Claim?
In the event of a successful lawsuit, a whistleblower can expect to earn a certain percentage of the profit. However, in most cases there are multiple people involved (called whistleblowers). The profit denoted to the whistleblowers is divided between the number of whistleblowers involved. Examples of famous whistleblower cases are listed below:
- In 2009 a group of Pfizer employees blew the whistle when they caught their employee illegally promoting an arthritis drug. They were awarded $102 million.
- In 2012 a UBS employee was awarded $104 million by the IRS when the employee shed light on their employer’s fraudulent tax evasion.
- Here in Florida back in 2014, a single person was awarded $20.8 million out of the total $85 million settlement blowing the whistle on Halifax Hospital Medical Center in Daytona. By overcharging Medicare, Halifax had violated the False Claims Act and the Stark Law. The hospital had overpaid physicians, purposefully overcharged for tests and prescription drugs, and charged Medicare for unnecessary procedures and medical services.
The False Claims Act
The False Claims Act was established to decrease corporate fraud and is one of taxpayers’ most useful tools to decrease government waste from corporate exploits. Employees stand to gain substantial financial reimbursement by speaking up against their employers, and often this threat alone of being caught by their employees is enough for some employers to shy away from fraud. Under the Whistleblower Protection Act, there are protective measures to keep employers from retaliating against the whistleblower.
Whistleblower claims can involve:
- 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.
The Pendas Law Firm is Here to Help With Your Miami Whistleblower Case
The ways in which corporations can commit fraud are vast, and dishonest business practices are carried out behind closed doors every day. If you have knowledge of your company’s dishonest, fraudulent practices against the government, you may be able to collect part of the settlement. Contact one of our Miami whistleblower lawyers immediately to begin discussing the legal options available to you. The Pendas Law Firm will provide protection and our lawyers will work tirelessly to ensure that your civil service is appropriately rewarded.
