COLUMBIA, SC, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Every year, the U.S. Department of Justice recovers billions of dollars through the False Claims Act, a tool that helps the Justice Department hold fraudsters accountable and stop exploitation of government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE.
South Carolina attorney Bert Louthian has spent years on the front line of cases involving the False Claims Act. He represents whistleblowers, key players in the Justice Department’s fight against fraud and abuse.
Louthian said that the False Claims Act is the most powerful tool citizens have to fight against this type of corruption. He also believes that too few Americans understand the rights and protections of a whistleblower.
“Whistleblowers save taxpayers billions of dollars every year,” Louthian said. “The government understands the value of the service whistleblowers provide, which is one of the reasons the False Claims Act offers protections and rewards for the information they provide.”
If whistleblowers provide information that is unique and leads to a recovery, they are given 15 to 30 percent as a reward.
For example, whistleblowers received a total of $392 million in fiscal year 2017 out of the $3.4 billion in judgments and settlements stemming from the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act. The qui tam provision gives whistleblowers the opportunity to file a lawsuit on behalf of the government.
Whistleblowers are also granted protection against retaliation from employers when they sound the alarm about wrongdoing. Whistleblowers have the right to report abuse, fraud and waste without fear of being fired, intimidated or demoted at their job.
These protections are essential for ensuring the effectiveness of qui tam suits, because so many whistleblowers are employees of the companies named in their whistleblower claims.
“It’s often the people that work at these fraudulent companies that have access to information about fraud, abuse and waste,” Louthian said. “Their decision to speak out is vital, so it’s very important for whistleblower advocates to raise awareness of the ways in which the False Claims Act shields employees against retaliation.”
Louthian said that the rights of a whistleblower provide an enormous benefit to society, from stopping fraud against Medicare to ending waste and corruption in the financial sector.
“Fraud leaves no corner of our society untouched,” Louthian said. “Anytime there’s an opportunity to exploit our system, there is also a need for whistleblowers to lead the charge against corruption. We can all appreciate the public service that these whistleblowers provide.”
About Bert Louthian:
For over thirty years, Bert Louthian has been practicing law in Columbia, South Carolina, alongside his father, Herb, providing clients with a collective 80 years of legal experience. Since receiving his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina, Bert has been dedicated to helping those who have been wronged or have witnessed wrongdoing so they can come forward safe in the knowledge that they will be provided the best representation possible.
Potential whistleblowers can find out more about filing claims through the False Claims Act by visiting http://www.thewhistleblowerlawyer.com/.