Practical Tips for Strengthening Your Qui Tam Case

The government only chooses to intervene in whistleblower cases that it finds to be strong and in which it has an interest. By presenting your qui tam case in a strategic way, you can catch the eye of the government and encourage them to intervene. Below are several practical tips for strengthening your qui tam case and increasing your chances of getting the government involved in your case.

Gather Compelling Evidence

The most important thing the government is going to look for in your qui tam case is whether you have compelling evidence. A mere allegation alone means nothing if it is not also accompanied by hard evidence of the fraud you are alleging was committed.

For example, if you are reporting healthcare fraud, you will need to gather compelling evidence showing fraudulent billing or false claims made to Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE. Also, if you can gather evidence of internal communications plotting the fraudulent scheme, that will help strengthen your case too. Remember, the company that committed the fraudulent act is going to fight back by saying that your allegation lacks specificity, so the more detailed the evidence is that you gathered, the stronger of a case you will have.

Know Why it Matters

Having compelling evidence alone is not enough to guarantee the government will intervene in your qui tam case. You will also need to show the government how their intervention in your qui tam case will impact them, as well as taxpayers, on a larger scale. Remember that your goal in blowing the whistle on a company’s fraudulent conduct is not just to bring a company down. Your goal is to show other fraudsters how fraudulent conduct is handled and deter future fraudsters from taking advantage of innocent taxpayers and the government.

Be Persistent

Investigations into fraud can often take years, so it is your responsibility as a whistleblower, and your attorney’s responsibility, to stay persistent and not give in to the company’s demands to settle quietly and privately. This is why you want to make sure you hire an experienced qui tam attorney who will not give up on your case no matter how long it takes to resolve it.

Know When to Talk and When Not to Talk

Confidentiality is one of the most important factors in a qui tam case. The only way to guarantee that your case stays completely confidential is to not tell anyone else about it, not even those you trust and believe will not leak the case.

On the other side of communication, it is also important to always tell the truth when providing evidence and information about the fraud. Understandably, filing a qui tam case can be a stressful time, but it is extremely important to remain calm so that you can think with a clear head and report only the truth of the fraud you witnessed.

Contact an Experienced and Persistent Qui Tam Attorney

The first thing you will want to do after witnessing corporate fraud is to contact an experienced and persistent qui tam attorney. The qui tam attorneys at Willoughby Brod have helped numerous whistleblowers file their qui tam cases and successfully get the government involved in the litigation. We can advise you as to your best course of action and will hold your hand through each step of the process. Contact us at (800) 427-7020 or visit us online to schedule your free consultation today.

(image courtesy of David Everett Strickler)