The federal False Claims Act (“FCA”) imposes liability for knowingly submitting a false claim to the government, causing another to submit a false claim to the government, knowingly making a false record or statement to get a false claim paid by the government, or improperly avoiding paying money owed to the government. The FCA permits individuals to file suit for violations of the False Claims Act. Individuals who file suit are known as relators or whistleblowers.
In order to prevent multiple, separate whistleblower suits based upon identical facts and circumstances, the FCA contains a provision, commonly known as the first-to-file bar. Once a whistleblower files a suit, the first-to-file bar generally prevents subsequent would-be whistleblowers from filling a case based on the same underlying facts. Whistleblowers are entitled to a share of the money that the government recovers in a false claims case. Therefore, it is important for potential whistleblowers to seek legal representation as soon as they become aware of fraud so that their claims are preserved.
At Cutt, Kendell & Olson, we provide experienced legal representation to whistleblowers who are aware of fraud against government dollars. If you would like to speak to an attorney regarding your potential case, call us at (801) 901-3470 for a free consultation.