Whistleblower, Qui Tam & Wrongful Termination
Have you witnessed fraud, overbilling or misuse of government funds by your employer? Have you been wrongfully terminated from your employment?
At Edwards Beightol, we represent individuals in qui tam or whistleblower lawsuits, when they sue on behalf of our government for fraud. It is all too common for companies to commit fraud against our government, in an attempt to cheat the government out of money. Whistleblowers who help expose this fraud are entitled to a portion of the funds that they help recover. In addition, they are entitled to protection from wrongful termination because they blew the whistle.
Whistleblower suits are often complicated, because of the legal and economic issues involved, so whistleblower plaintiffs are much more likely to be successful if they have the help of a skilled attorney. At Edwards Beightol, we have years of experience representing whistleblowers nationwide. From Medicare and Medicaid fraud to defense contractor fraud, we can help you as the whistleblower maximize the recovery you get for helping address the fraud you see.
What is a whistleblower?
Whistleblower suits, known as qui tam suits, cover any fraud on federal or state governments for the purposes of unlawfully obtaining government funds. A wide range of fraud is recognized by our whistleblower laws, including:
Fraud in the provision of goods or services in defense contracts and other government contracts
Procurement fraud such as providing inferior goods or inflating rates in government contracts
Overbilling for government health care services and drugs (including billing Medicare and Medicaid)
Improper provision of disaster relief funds and economic stimulus funds under TARP, EESA or ARRA
Pharmaceutical fraud through illegal kickbacks, off-label marketing and violations of FDA regulations
Fraud in the provision of grants and loans by the federal government or goods and services in education and other public works
“Cate Edwards’ unflinching credible approach empowered me as a woman among powerful men and I was very happy with her representation.”
Am I protected as a whistleblower?
The government relies on regular citizens to come forward to cure fraud undertaken against it.
For this reason, the law protects and rewards whistleblowers who help aid the public by detecting and exposing this fraud. If you experience retaIiation for whistleblowing, we can help you bring a claim for that as well as the underlying fraud.
What damages can I claim?
Whistleblowers are entitled to a portion of the money that they recover on behalf of the government. The government rewards whistleblowers for their courage. Depending on the type of fraud and the information provided, the whistleblower may be entitled to up to 30% of the amount the government recovers from the perpetrator of the fraud.
In addition, those who have been wrongfully terminated in retaliation for exercising their rights are entitled to recover what they have lost — including wages, value of benefits and compensatory damages for the emotional distress they have experienced as a result of that termination.
Why contact an attorney immediately?
It is important that you contact an attorney immediately if you believe you may have a whistleblower or qui tam claim. There are deadlines within which claims must be filed or the right to file them is lost forever. Evidence can also disappear if you do not have an attorney to help you preserve it. For these reasons, contact an attorney today to review your claim. Waiting even one day can be the difference between having a claim that you can pursue and being barred from pursuing that very same claim.