Nearly anyone with information about fraud committed against the U.S. government or many state governments can become a False Claims Act whistleblower. Whistleblowers are often employed by the corporation or other business involved in the wrongdoing, but that is not a requirement.
Whistleblowers may have a lot of evidence in hand, or they may have limited documents in support of their accusations. Whether a whistleblowers allegations and supporting materials are sufficient to sustain a False Claims Act case is something for a whistleblower to initially discuss with experienced counsel at a whistleblower firm like Hagens Berman. Regardless of the specific strength of evidence available to a whistleblower, once a whistleblower files suit under the False Claims Act certain protections are triggered.
Hagens Berman advocates for whistleblowers and ensures they have well-researched and compelling complaints for the Department of Justice to investigate. Whistleblowers never stand alone when Hagens Berman is involved. We protect our clients while we aggressively advocate on their behalf to challenge False Claims Act violations.
FILING A WHISTLEBLOWER FALSE CLAIMS ACT COMPLAINT
If you observed fraud while on the job, and this fraud targets the federal government or state governments, you may be permitted to file a False Claims Act case under state and federal law.
You may feel overwhelmed by the responsibility, but your legal team at Hagens Berman will be able to guide you through the process and ensure you are prepared and protected when you blow the whistle. Because you are required to retain a False Claims Act attorney to represent you when you bring your complaint to the federal government and file suit, every whistleblower must take great care in selecting the best possible attorney and law firm to represent them in the action. A qualified legal team will help you navigate the complexity of False Claims Act cases while helping protect you from any illegal retaliation from your employer.
The initial goal for any whistleblower filing suit under the False Claims Act is to present a compelling enough lawsuit that the Department of Justice decides to join your claim. When the government does intervene in your case, it will handle the fraud investigation and if it settles the case – which it does nearly 90% of the time when it intervenes in a False Claims Act suit – it will recommend the Court award you a percentage of the recovery.
If federal investigators decide not to “intervene” in the case, as a whistleblower you are generally then permitted you to move forward with your lawsuit aided by your attorneys. As long as you have a dedicated and experienced False Claims Act lawyer on your side, you stand a good chance of being rewarded with a larger percentage of the overall reclaimed funds, if your whistleblower case is both substantial and successful.
PROTECTIONS AND REWARDS FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS
Whistleblowers may question why they would risk their careers and reputations to bring corruption to light. Under federal laws, whistleblowers enjoy strong protections from retaliation and harassment from accused parties. Each circumstance is different and Hagens Berman attorneys discuss the positive and negative considerations for each whistleblower under the circumstances of each case.
If you are fired during a False Claims Act investigation in retaliation for your efforts to stop your employer from committing fraud, you can sue your employer. They can be forced to hire you back and repay you double the paychecks you missed. They would also face penalties for any harassment or discrimination you suffered.
Whistleblowers are also entitled to prospectively large awards if their False Claims Act complaint is successful. Whistleblowers earn between 15% and 20% of funds recovered by government prosecutors. Whistleblowers stand to gain up to 30% of the recovery if their own lawyer secures the victory.
TRUST HAGENS BERMAN WITH YOUR WHISTLEBLOWER CASE
When moving forward with a potential False Claims Act claim, whistleblowers need counsel and should select a law firm with the reputation, experience, and resources to advance the case. When the success of your claim carries the potential for significant risks and rewards, you need a law firm with an outstanding False Claims Act track record.
Among the largest and most highly respected and experienced whistleblower firms in the country, Hagens Berman is positioned to be your advocate as a whistleblower. We utilize our decades of experience, our deep bench of talent, substantial resources, and our strong reputation with the Department of Justice to ensure your case properly evaluated and litigated.
Hagens Berman provides a free and confidential analysis of your potential whistleblower matter. You can also visit our whistleblower informational page for more helpful articles and instructional videos from our legal team on the False Claims Act.
