Qui Tam Laws

Qui Tam Laws

Qui Tam is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "Qui Tam pro domino rege quam pro si ipso in hac parte sequitur," and its literal meaning is "He who sues on behalf of the King, as well as for Himself." In practical terms it allows a private individual, known as a Whistleblower or Realtor, to bring a lawsuit against any company on behalf of the government if he has knowledge of any fraud that is, or has been, committed by this company in the course of doing business with the government. Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, was responsible for the enactment of The Qui Tam Statute more commonly known as The False Claims Act. The purpose was to protect the government from suppliers who were providing faulty equipment to the government during the civil war. In 1986 the law was strengthened making it easier and more rewarding for a private citizen, with the aid of qualified attorneys, to bring a lawsuit against a company that is willfully cheating the government.

Do you have knowledge of fraud being committed by your employer against the government and would like more information regarding Qui Tam Laws? If so, contact one of our Qui Tam Attorneys in your area today!

Some Examples of Medical Fraud That May Qualify For a Qui Tam Lawsuit:

• Billing For Medical Tests Not Performed
  
• The Performing of Unnecessary Procedures
  
• Charging For Supplies Never Ordered
  
• Double Billing, or Charging More Than Once For The Same Service
  
• Charging Expenses for Employees That Don’t Exist
  

The Federal Government routinely contracts with companies for goods and services and unfortunately there are many individuals who attempt to gain wealth by making false claims. The Qui Tam law provides a way for citizens to help the government combat this deceit with provisions in the law that will reward a person from 15 to 30 percent of any money recovered from a successful lawsuit. The law also provides another incentive to employees who may fear the loss of their jobs by revealing their employers fraudulent activities. To prevent this occurrence the law prohibits an employer from harassing or retaliating against an employee who provides information regarding any fraud being committed by the employer. If any of these actions occur, the employee may receive, in addition to a percentage of the money recovered, money to compensate for lost pay, litigation costs and attorneys fees.

It is distressing that fraud committed against The Federal government seems to be rampant. This serious theft of tax payer’s money can be addressed if honest citizens who have knowledge of these criminal acts utilize the tools provided by the law to combat this pillage of their money. A citizen who is aware of possible fraud perpetrated by a company that has contracted with the federal Government should immediately engage the services of experienced attorneys to help determine the possibility of a lawsuit. Action should not be delayed because even if more than one person uncovers the fraud only the one bringing the suit is entitled to any awards. Qui Tam Lawsuits are complicated and require knowledgeable attorneys to help build a successful case. Nevertheless, since the 1986 revision of the law, private citizens who have engaged attorneys to pursue lawsuits for the government have been successful in recovering billions of dollars for themselves and the government.

Do you have knowledge of fraud being committed by your employer against the government and would like more information regarding Qui Tam Laws? If so, contact one of our Qui Tam Attorneys in your area today!

Updated: LW