The False Claims Act, which is also known as the “Lincoln Law” that allows one or more private people to file a lawsuit against entities that have defrauded the US federal government. The lawsuits that are brought against individuals or corporations are called “Qui Tam,” the law provides a reward for those that have blown the whistle on wrongdoers if the cases should prosper and the government recovers funds which were obtained fraudulently. There are many ways the government is open to fraud, Medicare and Medicaid fraud as well as defense contractor fraud have did a great deal of damage to the government treasury.
When an individual has sufficient evidence of fraud and decides the only course of action is to blow the whistle the whistleblower must hire a false claims act attorney in Chicago to represent then throughout the proceedings. Once you have engaged your lawyer time is of the essence. Under the false claims act there is what is called a “first to file rule.” Under this rule the first whistleblower to file a case designed to disclose a fraudulent act against the government is the only person eligible to be rewarded.
The investigation phase:
The lawsuit is kept secret from everyone other than the government for a minimum of 60 days but this is more often than not exceeded to provide the government sufficient time to fully investigate the allegations. During this time, no one, including the entity which has been accused of fraud, knows the investigation is going on. In many cases the government works closely with the false claims act attorney in Chicago that the whistleblower has hired.
Penalties and reward:
In the event the accused is found guilty of defrauding the government the penalty of triple the damages sustained by the government plus a substantial civil fine.
The whistleblower stands to receive a reward that usually equates to between 15 and 25 percent of the recovered amount plus attorneys fees and costs.
If you have reason to believe that you can substantiate a fraudulent act against the federal government you will need to hire a seasoned false claims act attorney in Chicago. You are invited to discuss the circumstances of your claim with the Zimmerman Law Offices. Visit them online at False Claims Act Attorney in Chicago.
