Doing the right thing can be easier said than done. The fact of the matter is that most of the time, if you discover wrongdoing, reporting it can come with harsh consequences. This is more clear than even when you’re dealing with the government. Often we see in the news major cases of people with government jobs who have become so-called “whistleblowers”. Among this select group of people, perhaps the biggest name at the moment is Edward Snowden. Whatever your opinion of his actions, the fact is that the way Snowden has been treated has made many afraid of whistleblowing. At the same time, it’s true that not every whistleblowing case is as major as Snowden’s — certainly not, in fact. Many people who end up whistleblowing on wrongdoing by the government employers end up merely terminated — but this isn’t right either. It’s important that your concerns are taken seriously; and it’s equally important that people who end up whistleblowing on the government are respected and treated fairly. If you believe that you have been retaliated against as a whistleblower, you don’t have accept this treatment. You do have options, among them qui tam lawsuits. With that being said, many don’t even know what qui tam means, never mind how qui tam lawsuit procedure works. Let’s look into how whistleblower law firms can help you, and why you shouldn’t accept retaliation from employers if you’re a whistleblower.
Qui Tam Lawsuit Procedure: What It Means And How It Works
You may be familiar with the term whistleblower, but you may be less familiar with the regulations and rules that go along with qui tam lawsuit procedure. Essentially, qui tam relators are those who have brought forward evidence of fraud against the government. Many of the relators in this field have government jobs. The motivation of these relators or “whistleblowers” is usually positive — they’re trying to do the right thing. At the same time, the consequences can be major, as we’ll discuss later. Qui tam lawsuit procedure involves protecting the whistleblower from retaliation — or, if whistleblower retaliation has already occurred, ensuring that justice prevails and the whistleblower is protected and compensated for the personal loss sustained due to their whistleblowing. Whistleblower retaliation cases can be extremely difficult to navigate. They also require an experienced attorney who is ready to go up against powerful clients. Yet at the same time, these lawsuits are not as rare as you might think. About 60% of all false claims litigation cases are qui tam cases, with the remainder having been initiated by the government. According to the Department of Justice fraud statistics, the average annual growth rate of qui tam filings is 13% over the past 24 years.
Whistleblower Retaliation: The Risk Is Real
Due to the fact that several high-profile government whistleblowers have become famous worldwide, many believe that whistleblowing is a matter left to books and films. When small-scale whistleblowing does happen, many assume that it is handled quickly and efficiently. Threats to whistleblowers don’t actually happen, do they? Unfortunately they do, and more often than you may think. In the past, whistleblowers have been offered money to maintain their silence. They’ve also been threatened with bodily harm and personal harm as well. However, an extremely common form of retaliation against whistleblowers is not physical — but it does harm the whistleblower in another way, in the long-term. This is to say, many whistleblowers are fired or “let go” after they reveal the evidence they’ve gathered. This is extremely harmful to the whistleblower’s life and future job prospects. As such, it’s very important for whistleblowers to be able to come forward and be honest about what they know without fear of retaliation. With 22% of whistleblowers reporting retaliation, this may be easier said than done for now. But with lawyers on your side, you can feel safer about telling the truth.
You shouldn’t be punished for telling the truth — with an attorney on your side, you won’t be.
