Whistleblower Claims, in their simplest form, are claims brought by a person, on behalf of the government, against a person or company that that is defrauding the government. The source of the law stems from the False Claims Act (FCA), enacted in 1863. The common term, “Whistleblower”, comes from the idea of the person ‘blowing the whistle’ on the illegal action by a company against the government.
Whistleblower claims come in all forms of government interaction between a private individual/company and their relation with the government. This can include:
- Defense contracts
- Government grants
- Hospital/medicine providers charging Medicare/Medicaid
- Securities and Exchange Commission fraud
- Internal Revenue Service fraud
The FCA allows the person blowing the whistle to be compensated for their action. However, bringing these actions are difficult, and often require the foresight to protect the rights of the person bringing the claim. Therefore, if you have a possible Whistleblower Claim, please call an experienced attorney at Gardberg & Kemmerly in Mobile, Alabama, immediately.