Whistleblower Attorney Washington, D.C.

Video Transcript

Allan Siegel: 

We are a personal injury law firm. That is the only type of work that this law firm does. If you were injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence, then that’s a case that we would handle. So what does that include? Car crash cases. It includes bicycle crash cases, scooter cases, pedestrian accident cases, truck crash cases. It includes bus cases, all of those things, but it also includes situations where you might be hurt on somebody else’s premises. For example, maybe you were hurt at a business, maybe you slipped and fell because they didn’t maintain their floor in a safe condition.

Ira Sherman: 

The insurance company knows that we are aggressive, we are creative. We have the funds to fund a case and hire experts, and as a result, they distinguish us in a category of law firms that they need to know and do know that we can take the case from day one all the way through trial successfully.

Stephen Ollar: 

Insurance is an important factor, not just the insurance coverage on the vehicle that struck you, but also if you have additional insurance coverage that may compensate you if you have very serious injuries. The degree of your injury is important.

Joseph Cammarata: 

Our approach is victim oriented in the sense that we are concerned for the wellbeing of our clients. We do everything to better their lot in life. A person that’s injured in a crash or bike accidents or pedestrian accidents, their life typically gets turned upside down. And we try to right that balance. We make sure that they’re getting the medical treatment that they need, that they’re following through, and that we understand the medicine, we understand just what the person is going through so we can articulate that. We could present that effectively.

Allan Siegel: 

If you’ve been injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence or as a result of somebody else’s intentional act, that’s a case that we would handle and that’s a case that you should call us to consult with us on.

Whistleblower Examples

Whistleblower cases refer to the reporting of misconduct or illegal activities within a government agency or private organization. The False Claims Act permits any person who knows about misconduct committed against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government.

Known as a whistleblower or qui tam lawsuit, these claims allow the person who initiates the suit (the whistleblower) to be paid a significant portion of the funds recovered if the lawsuit is successful.

The False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729-3733) covers different types of fraud, including:

• Making false statements for the purpose of receiving payment
• Seeking payment from the government for services that were not performed
• Overbilling the government
• Making false claims to Medicare
• Making records to back up false statements
• Taking money or property intended for the government
• Purchasing government property from someone not authorized to sell it
• Conspiring to commit any of the acts above

Under the False Claims Act, any person is permitted to bring legal action on behalf of the government. Because you are expected to prove your claim in court, it is recommended that whistleblowers only pursue legal recourse if he or she can produce evidence, or knows of evidence that can prove the claim. Employees often bring this type of action against their employee because they are in an ideal position to witness fraud.

What the False Claims Act Guarantees

The False Claims Act guarantees confidentiality, because the complaint is filed under seal and remains under seal for at least 60 days. The claim also protects from retaliation by your employer. If you are threatened, harassed, discharged, suspended, or demoted in response to your whistleblower lawsuit, you are entitled to “all relief necessary” to make you “whole,” which may include reinstatement at a former position, up to two times back pay, and damages.

The False Claims Act also states that the whistleblower will be awarded between 15 – 25% of the amount recovered if the federal government accepts the case. There is no limit to this award. Some notable whistleblower cases have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for the government, leading to tens of millions of dollars in cash awards to individual whistleblowers.

Fraud Has a Harmful Ripple Effect on Everyone

With the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bank bailout and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, commonly known as the 2009 Stimulus Act), the U.S. government committed to the largest payouts to private companies in history. The rationale was that all American citizens would ultimately benefit, but fraud can diminish the country’s collective gains from these payments.

From Naval maintenance operations to genetic research to tax fraud committed by a business, numerous projects in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC are funded by government money and / or commit fraud. If you are aware of any fraud being committed against the government, our legal team is prepared to help you file a whistleblower lawsuit.

The personal injury lawyers at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. serve the entire Washington, D.C. metro area, including Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria, and Woodbridge), and Maryland (Bethesda, Rockville, Laurel, Montgomery County, Waldorf, Silver Spring, Frederick County, and Hyattsville).