Whistleblower cases, also known as qui tam lawsuits, are an important part of exposing fraud in the government and taxpayers. When an employee of a private company or government agency has knowledge of fraudulent activity in a state or local government, the whistleblower statutes allow that person to receive money damages for exposing the fraud, as well as protection from retaliation and wrongful termination.
Qui Tam Lawsuits Under the False Claims Act And Whistleblower Protection Act
If you believe the company or entity you work for is defrauding a government agency, first speak to a whistleblower lawyer in Georgia at the McArthur Law Firm. There are many important procedures involved in a qui tam lawsuit that must be followed, and the employee must be sure of the fraud to avoid being penalized for supplying false information. Our qui tam lawyers can guide employees through an investigation and plan a comprehensive strategy before the information is reported to best protect the whistleblower.
What are the Georgia Qui Tam Statutes? Georgia Whistleblower Attorney Explains Qui Tam Protections
Qui tam is a type of lawsuit whereby an employee of a company alerts the state Attorney General of fraud of a government program. The Georgia qui tam and whistleblower laws are:
- Georgia Taxpayer Protection False Claims Act (Qui Tam False Claims Act)
- State False Medicaid Claims Act
Whistleblower claims under either act will be reported to the Attorney General’s office. The Office of the Attorney General will investigate the situation and can either file the qui tam lawsuit through its own office, or it can give permission for the employee to file the lawsuit with a private qui tam lawyer.
When an employee acts as a whistleblower and reveals fraud in Medicaid claims or other government programs, the whistleblower is entitled to between 15 and 30 percent of the amounts recovered. The amount is an award and an incentive for employees to speak out when they see a company or person defrauding the government. The acts also prohibit retaliation by the employer to the whistleblower.
What is the Georgia Whistleblower Statute of Limitations?
To file a whistleblower claim under either the Georgia Taxpayer Protection False Claims Act or the State False Medicaid Claims Act, the person must act within ten years of the date of the violation. Although this qui tam statute of limitations seems like a long time, it is always best to speak to a Georgia whistleblower attorney as soon as possible after discovering fraud. You can also learn what to do before blowing the whistle on our resource page.
What is the Georgia Whistleblower Act?
The Georgia Whistleblower Act protects public employees from wrongful termination or retaliation when the employee exposes fraud, waste or abuse of a state program. While whistleblower claims must be reported to the Office of the State Inspector General (OIG), it is essential to have a whistleblower law firm review the situation first for the most effective and protective strategy to move forward.
Georgia Whistleblower Attorney for Exposing Taxpayer Fraud
Our offices are located in Macon and Atlanta, but we serve employees statewide. We work with clients in the Atlanta, Athens, and Augusta areas, as well as Columbus and the western portion of the state, Savannah and the east coast, to Albany and the southern portion of Georgia.
If you are thinking about blowing the whistle on fraud against the government, do so with the experienced guidance of an attorney at your side. For a confidential, no obligation case consultation, call us directly at 478-238-6600 or fill out our online contact form.
More Whistleblower Cases Resources
If you’d like to learn more about the types of whistleblower cases the McArthur Law Firm handles, read our informative articles on the subject below. We explore a variety of issues related to whistleblower cases.
