Qui Tam Attorneys Philadelphia, PA - The Whistleblower Advocates - (215) 402-2183 

The Whistleblower Advocates is a law firm dedicated to representing whistleblowers who have been harmed by fraud or wrongdoing. Our "Qui Tam Attorneys Philadelphia, PA" help recover damages against the wrongdoers who caused their harm. To do this, we help them file a qui tam lawsuit, or whistleblower action, against these wrongdoers. The qui tam lawsuit is brought in the name of the United States government. This is called a “qui tam” action because it is initiated by someone “who brings the action under the False Claims Act on behalf of the United States. Call us!

What Is a Qui Tam Lawsuit? 

Qui tam is a Latin term that means "who pursues" or "whistleblower." A qui tam lawsuit is a lawsuit brought by someone who possesses confidential information about fraud on the government. This person then shares the information with the government and receives a percentage of any recovery. This person is known as a qui tam plaintiff or a qui tam relator. If the qui tam plaintiff succeeds in a qui tam lawsuit, the government recovers the proceeds of the suit. If the government does not pursue the case, the qui tam plaintiff receives the funds. Qui tam lawsuits have been used to recover billions of dollars for the federal government. For example, in 2011, qui tam lawsuits recovered more than $4 billion for Medicare and Medicaid. Many people believe that the qui tam plaintiff gets the lion's share of the proceeds of a qui tam lawsuit. This is untrue. The qui tam plaintiff can only receive the proceeds from the qui tam lawsuit if the government recovers the money. When the government does not pursue the case, the qui tam plaintiff receives nothing. Qui tam lawsuits are designed to protect the government. If the government fails to pursue the case, the qui tam plaintiff can keep the money for himself.

Do I Need a Qui Tam Attorney? 

Many people believe that they need a whistleblower lawyer when they are being accused of committing fraud against the federal government. While it is true that the federal False Claims Act (FCA) is one of the most powerful tools in the government’s arsenal, it is not the only way to bring a whistleblower case. Sometimes, the best path to take is to file a qui tam action, which is also known as a “whistleblower action.” Qui tam cases are different from FCA suits because they allow private citizens, called “relators,” to file the suit. Relators are usually former employees who come forward and tell the government about fraud and abuse in the system. The Department of Justice investigates the allegations, files the qui tam action, and then prosecutes the case. The relator receives a portion of any recovery and often gets the rest of the money awarded to the government.

Who can be a whistleblower according to the qui tam?

Who Can Be a Whistleblower? Under the False Claims Act, private citizens may sue under the government’s authority to investigate and stop fraud against the United States. The False Claims Act was designed to encourage those with knowledge of fraud against the government to come forward and report it. Anyone who knows or suspects that a false claim has been made against the government and files an action on that information may be called a whistleblower. 

A whistleblower is entitled to a share of any recovery in the action. Whistleblowers may be individuals or businesses. Whistleblowing is a win-win situation for both the whistleblower and the government. As long as the whistleblower provides the government with the information necessary to prosecute the case, the whistleblower may be entitled to a share of the settlement or judgment obtained by the government. There is no requirement that the whistleblower be an employee or agent of the government. Whistleblowers can be paid a percentage of the recovery obtained. The size of the award can be quite large.

Is Qui tam civil or criminal? 

Who is a qui tam plaintiff? Is it a criminal or a civil matter? These are questions many people ask when they hear about qui tam litigation. The qui tam lawsuit is civil and, therefore, it is possible to file a qui tam lawsuit in the federal district court or a state court. The qui tam plaintiff is not the person who is doing the wrongdoing but, instead, it is someone who is exposing the wrongdoing by filing a qui tam lawsuit. The False Claims Act was created in 1863 in response to rampant corruption in the Civil War. The False Claims Act is a civil statute designed to encourage private citizens to investigate and report fraudulent practices and acts by federal contractors, grantees, and recipients. The False Claims Act is administered by the United States Department of Justice. 

The qui tam plaintiff must be a “relator”. The relator must have direct knowledge of the fraudulent activity and provide the government with the information necessary to bring a qui tam action. The relator may be a corporate officer or employee or a non-employee who has direct knowledge of the fraudulent conduct. The relator can be an individual or a group of individuals. The relator can be an attorney, a journalist, a businessperson, or anyone else who has evidence of the fraud. A qui tam lawsuit is different than a class action suit. In a qui tam lawsuit, the government will be bringing the action on its own behalf and, therefore, the government will be entitled to a share of any proceeds recovered. In a class action, the plaintiffs are entitled to a percentage of the recovery. A qui tam plaintiff must give notice to the government of the alleged fraud within 90 days of discovery of the fraud. The qui tam plaintiff must then wait 30 days before filing a qui tam complaint. The qui tam plaintiff may be eligible to receive a reward