October 8, 2015
Contractor Fraud
A company known as SteriCycle, which specializes in compliant disposal of biological waste, has agreed to settle a qui tam lawsuit launched by a former employee in 2009.[1. Koenigsberg, David & Menz, John. “Stericycle to Pay $26.75 Million to Settle False Claims Act Case.” PRNewsWire.com, October 9, 2015. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stericycle-to-pay-2675-million-to-settle-false-claims-act-case-300157412.html] The case, […]
October 7, 2015
False Claims Act Legal News
In a case of first impression, the False Claims Act-heavy Fourth Circuit has agreed to review an interlocutory appeal over whether the use of statistical sampling is sufficient to establish liability under the Act, or whether plaintiff-relators must actually submit evidence to support each and every allegation. The case, known […]
October 6, 2015
Military Contractor Fraud
Aside from healthcare fraud, defense contractor fraud remains the most costly form of financial abuse faced by the U.S. government. The False Claims Act, which was originally enacted to defend against wartime fraud and false claims, allows relators to recover up to 30 percent of any settlement or verdict recovered […]
October 5, 2015
Tax Fraud
In yesterday’s post, we went over the basics of filing a whistleblower claim with the Internal Revenue Service. While the IRS’ whistleblower program has not historically seen the same volume of cases as the False Claims Act, recent years have seen an increase in claims filed to the IRS. In […]
October 2, 2015
IRS Whistleblower
Much like the whistleblower procedure under the False Claims Act, the Internal Revenue Service maintains a whistleblower program whereby relators can relay information concerning possible tax fraud in exchange for the opportunity to receive a percentage of the ultimate recovery. While it is utilized less than the False Claims Act— […]
October 1, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In yesterday’s post, we examined some of the trends in recently unsealed qui tam lawsuits as surveyed by the National Law Review.[1. “September Health Care Qui Tam Update,” The National Law Review, September 21, 2015, http://www.natlawreview.com/article/september-health-care-qui-tam-update] Of the 39 unsealed cases that were surveyed, many involve allegations of wasteful, and even […]
September 30, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
Under the terms of the False Claims Act, an original whistleblower complaint must be filed confidentially under seal within a federal district court. From there, the Department of Justice receives notice of the lawsuit and is afforded an opportunity to investigate the allegations on its own. In about 20 percent […]
September 29, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
In yet another case of illegal kickbacks and unlawful referrals, Florida-based Adventist Health System has agreed to pay $118 million to the federal government pursuant to several successful whistleblower actions filed by former employees of the corporation. Adventist is a non-for-profit healthcare corporation that manages facilities in ten states. According […]
September 28, 2015
Customs Fraud
In a recent settlement under the False Claims Act, two individuals have agreed to pay $435,000 to resolve allegations they “skirted” their obligation to pay duties on aluminum extrusions imported from Chinese aluminum manufacturer Tai Shan Golden Gain Aluminum Products. The defendants, who hail from New Jersey and Texas, will […]
September 25, 2015
False Claims Act Information
As a potential whistleblower, it is important to recognize the common defenses raised by defendants as they attempt to avoid massive penalties, fines, and negative publicity. If you are considering a whistleblower lawsuit, you may be concerned by the prospect of taking on a large, multi-national conglomerate as an individual […]
September 24, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
The False Claims Act – and its companion statute, the Stark Law – expressly forbid hospital corporations from offering any sort of kickback or incentive in exchange for patient referrals or recommendations of certain products. These rules stem from the notion that patients should receive medical advice untainted by a […]
September 23, 2015
Healthcare Fraud
The Columbus Regional Health System, which maintains several hospitals, clinics, and a retirement community in the Columbus, Georgia area, has agreed to pay $35 million to settle allegations that it offered lucrative kickbacks and incentives to physicians in violation of the False Claims Act and Stark Law. Both laws prohibit […]