Know the basics of Qui Tam, whistleblowing, and the False Claims Act. Our team can provide you with more information through a consultation, but these are the basics for starters.
Quit Tam is often defined as the writ in the common law. The name is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase, “qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur,” which means “who sues in this matter for the king as well as for himself.”
Qui Tam lawsuits are when individuals are rewarded when the government recovers funds lost to fraud under the False Claim Act.
Qui Tam is a powerful tool to help the government end fraudulent situations. As a lawsuit, it recovers billions of dollars stolen from the US Treasury and taxpayers, security law violations, and commodity law violations.
The False Claims Act allows the federal government to suit individuals and companies that defraud the United States. Sometimes called “Lincoln Laws,” these lawsuits can be initiated by the government or whistleblowers.
The government is entitled to treble damages and civil penalties. Whistleblowers are entitled to 15 to 30% of the government’s recovery.
Many other laws also allow whistleblowers to collect an award from exposing fraud. Therefore, whistleblowers must get legal advice from a seasoned whistleblower attorney as early as possible in the process so that their position may be solidified and the award may be maximized.
If found guilty under the False Claim Act, an individual or organization is liable to pay three times the damages and a penalty for each false claim to the government.