NHTSA Awards $24 Million to Whistleblower for Reporting Hyundai and Kia Safety Violations The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a $24 million award to a whistleblower who provided critical information about safety defects in Hyundai and Kia vehicles. This award is historic, marking the first-ever payout under the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower […]
Fraud in Small Business Contracting: Billions in Wrongful Awards Exposed The federal government allocates at least 23% of contracts to small businesses, aiming to support entrepreneurship and economic growth. However, a significant portion of these funds may be wrongfully awarded to ineligible companies, leading to massive financial losses for taxpayers. Recent government audits have uncovered […]
Defense Contractor Fraud: A Growing Concern in Federal Spending At Wilbanks & Gouinlock, LLP, we actively investigate and litigate defense contractor fraud cases, recognizing it as a rapidly growing issue within federal spending. With billions of taxpayer dollars at stake, fraudulent activity in military procurement and defense contracts poses a significant risk to national security, […]
Expanding the Use of State False Claims Acts to Combat Fraud State False Claims Act statutes provide powerful tools for governments to fight fraud across various industries, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are protected. While the federal False Claims Act (FCA) has been instrumental in recovering billions of dollars from fraudulent actors, many states have yet […]
The Growing Threat of Private Insurance Fraud: $240 Billion Lost Annually Private insurance fraud is a rising concern, costing insurers an estimated $240 billion annually. While government healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid have robust fraud detection and enforcement mechanisms, private insurers lack the same level of oversight, making them more vulnerable to fraudulent activity. […]
Whistleblowers Play a Key Role in Recovering Billions Lost to COVID-19 Fraud With billions of taxpayer dollars at risk, whistleblowers are being called upon to expose fraudulent activities that siphoned off critical relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the largest sources of fraud involved the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created under […]
The False Claims Act: The Government’s Most Powerful Tool Against Fraud Fraud against the government costs taxpayers billions of dollars every year, draining public resources and undermining critical programs such as healthcare, defense, and infrastructure. One of the strongest weapons the government has to fight back is the False Claims Act (FCA). This powerful law […]
False Claims Act Recoveries Totaled $3 Billion in 2019, with Healthcare Leading the Way The False Claims Act (FCA) remains one of the government’s most effective tools in fighting fraud, particularly in healthcare. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), FCA settlement recoveries totaled $3 billion in 2019, demonstrating the continued strength of this key […]
11th Circuit Expands False Claims Act Deadline for Whistleblowers A major legal decision in the Southeastern United States has expanded the statute of limitations for False Claims Act (FCA) cases. In the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals jurisdiction, whistleblowers in declined qui tam cases can now recover damages dating back up to 10 years, rather […]
Expanded Whistleblower Tax Deductions: Key Changes in the 2018 Budget Bill The federal budget bill signed into law on February 9, 2018, significantly improves tax treatment for whistleblowers. It extends the tax deduction for attorney’s fees—previously available only to federal False Claims Act and IRS whistleblowers—to include many other federal and state whistleblower programs. Additionally, […]
Wilbanks & Gouinlock Case Named One of DOJ’s Top 5 Healthcare Fraud Cases of 2016 Once again, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recognized a Wilbanks & Gouinlock (W&G) whistleblower case as one of the Top 5 healthcare fraud litigation cases of 2016—a significant honor that underscores the firm’s impact in the fight against fraud […]
Supreme Court Ruling Strengthens Whistleblower Protections in Qui Tam Cases In a unanimous decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled in State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. v. U.S. ex rel. Rigsby that a seal breach in a qui tam lawsuit does not automatically require dismissal of the case. This landmark ruling directly rejected arguments […]
In a recent “Statement of Interest,” filed in a qui tam/False Claims Act case pending in Massachusetts, the U.S. Department of Justice has weighed in on what the Supreme Court’s decision in Escobar means in a way that is very favorable to whistleblowers.
The Department of Justice has said it intends to increase the minimum per-claim penalty from $5,500 to $10,781 and to increase the maximum per-claim penalty from $11,000 to $21,563 if a defendant is found liable under the False Claims Act
The United States Supreme Court has upheld the “implied certification” theory of liability in a False Claims Act case, meaning that a defendant can be liable under the False Claims Act for billing the government for goods or services when the defendant is not in compliance with material statutory, regulatory, or contractual requirements related to those good or services.
DOJ Joins Whistleblower Case Against Prime Healthcare for Medicare Fraud In the case U.S. ex rel. Bernsten v. Prime Healthcare, et al., pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has joined forces with Wilbanks & Gouinlock (W&G) and co-counsel James, Hoyer, Newcomer & […]
Whistleblower Lawsuit Against HMA Alleges Massive Medicare Fraud Scheme In December 2009, Wilbanks & Gouinlock (W&G) filed a whistleblower lawsuit against Health Management Associates (HMA), alleging a deliberate scheme to inflate Medicare reimbursements by pressuring emergency room staff to admit as many Medicare patients as possible—regardless of medical necessity. The case claims that HMA manipulated […]
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