Whistleblower Law Defined

Fraud under the False Claims Act involves a government contractor knowingly presenting a false claim for payment to the United States government. The fraud can occur wherever federal or state monies are directly or indirectly used to purchase services or goods. Under the False Claims Act, a private citizen may bring a lawsuit against a company committing the fraud on behalf of the government. “Qui tam” is a shortened version of the Latin phrase that, translated, means “he who sues for the king as well as for himself.”

Understand that a qui tam lawsuit must be more than just a series of general allegations or speculation. A qui tam lawsuit must be very detailed and there must be specific evidence to verify the allegations. Notably, qui tam claims under the False Claims Act involve actual fraud, not waste, mistakes or incompetence. In addition to a Complaint, you would have to provide a detailed “Written Disclosure” to the U.S. Department of Justice describing all the relevant facts about the fraud. The more details and information you are able to supply, the more likely the government will be persuaded to “intervene” and get directly involved in the case, thereby aligning its enormous authority and resources with you. The more helpful and credible you are to the government, the larger percentage of an eventual recovery you may be awarded.

The False Claims Act has an anti-retaliation provision which protects whistleblowers who report fraud so they may do so without fear of retaliation or reprisal from their employer. If retaliation does occur, you may be awarded “all relief necessary to make the employee whole,” including reinstatement, two times the amount of back pay, litigation costs, and attorney fees.

If you believe that a company is guilty of defrauding the government and there is independent evidence to support your belief, call (404) 949-5600 as soon as possible and speak with us directly.

We encourage you not to delay seeking legal representation, as a financial recovery under the qui tam law could be lost if another person brings the claim before you do.