Whistleblower Lawyers
Whistleblower Lawsuit Settlements in New Jersey
At the New Jersey law firm of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, we handle Qui tam — or “whistleblower” lawsuits. This type of lawsuit is brought by individuals who “blow the whistle” on fraud and other improper conduct which adversely affects the government and are brought under the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act rewards whistleblowers whose lawsuit recovers government funds. The Act protects them because of the risks they take to expose and stop fraud. Qui tam cases are a powerful way for individuals to help the government stop many kinds of fraud — Medicare and Medicaid fraud, defense contractor fraud, and numerous other types of fraud that impact the government financially — and recover billions that have been stolen from the United States Treasury and taxpayers.
Once a person has evidence of fraud against the government and decides to blow the whistle, that person needs to find a lawyer to represent him or her. Under the False Claims Act, a private citizen may sue an individual or a business that is defrauding the government to recover funds on the government’s behalf. The whistleblower lawsuit is filed “under seal,” meaning that it is kept secret from everyone but the government to give the Justice Department time to investigate the allegations. Even the person or entity being accused of fraud is not told about the qui tam case. The qui tam lawsuit and supporting documents must provide the government with detailed information about the fraud.
The government investigates the allegations, often with the assistance of the whistleblower’s attorney, and decides whether it will intervene in the case. The government intervenes in only a small percentage of whistleblower lawsuits. The False Claims Act states that a qui tam case will be sealed for sixty days, but courts generally extend the seal multiple times to give the government enough time to investigate the allegations to decide whether to join the case.
Defendants found liable under the False Claims Act may have to pay as much as three times the government’s losses plus penalties for each false claim.
If you act as a whistleblower under the False Claims Act, you may be entitled to a reward. The reward depends on many factors, but may range from fifteen percent to twenty-five percent of the recovery if the government intervenes, and between twenty-five and thirty percent of the recovery if the government does not intervene.
Qui Tam Lawsuit
If you have a claim of fraud or improper practices which have affected the government, contact the New Jersey law firm of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, and one of our whistleblower attorneys will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your potential claim.