Chicago Trial Attorney Blog : Chicago Trial Lawyer & Attorney : Philip J. Berenz Law Firm : Business Litigation, Personal Injury

If you suspect false billings or fraud against the U.S. or State Government, you may have a "whistleblower" case or "qui tam" lawsuit in which you may be able to share in the recovery of any award private attorneys or the U.S. Department of Justice recover. Take the quiz and contact us for a free, confidential consultation:

1. Do you know whether the knowledge you have involves cheating of the Federal or State Government or tax code?
2. Did you learn of the facts / issues from the news, media or on your own or during the course of your employment?
3. Do you have evidence (for example, financial records, statements, receipts, oral statements noted by witnesses) and do you believe the cheating involved substantial sums of money (over $250,000)?
4. Did the alleged cheating occur within the past 6 years?

Depending on the specific answers to these questions, you may be able to bring a qui tam action and share in any recovery.  

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Pfizer and a subsidiary recently settled a case with the U.S. Government to pay over $2.3 Billion to settle False Claims Act cases against them--the largest settlement in the history of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Six "whistleblowers" or "relators" will be paid more than $102 Million of the recovery for reporting and uncovering the frauds. Contact us if you learn of a false/fraudulent scheme. You may be able to share in a recovery.

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According to the United States Department of Justice, billions are stolen from taxpayers each year due to health care fraud. In fact:

Medicare fraud schemes have grown bolder and more elaborate, resulting in billions of dollars in false billings and fraud schemes which are robbing Medicare and Medicaid blind and leaving our most vulnerable citizens at risk.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) work together to investigate fraud and Attorney General Eric Holder and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are working to stop perpetrators of fraud.

In particular, a "strike force team" is focusing on Miami, Los Angeles, Detroit and Houston, assisting State Medicaid officials and using modern technology to uncover the fraud.

If you know of a scheme/fraud taking place, contact us as you may be entitled to collect a substantial portion of what the Department of Justice or private attorneys recover through a "qui tam" civil lawsuit under various Federal and/or State laws. The False Claims Act (also known as Lincoln's Law, the Informer's Act, or the Qui Tam Statute) allows a private indivdual to bring a civil lawsuit for false billings to the federal government and also protects such individuals who may work for an employer doing the false billing. 

According to one analysis, qui tam suits have been filed since 1986 and the government has recovered over $20 billion as a result of the suits and a substantial portion of that $20 billion has been paid to what is known as "relators" or "whistleblowers"--you and me. However, to share in the recovery, a whistleblower must follow complex requirements and merely providing information will not entitle a whistleblower to any share in the recovery. Contact us for a confidential and free consultation as to whether you should become a whistleblower--especially to protect your employment.

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A recent report questions whether employee reports of patient abuse in a nursing home went ignored. Read the full article here. An individual was indicted last month on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of nursing home patients.

Two employees of the nursing home reported the abuse to their supervisor and the Board of Nursing is now investigating whether the reports went unanswered.

Monitor your loved ones closely. If you notice any bruising, withdrawal, a lack of willingness to communicate with you or unusual behavior, report the issue to the administrator of the nursing home but a call to the local police department may be in order as well. Take action. Call us to determine if a civil lawsuit should be filed.

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