Exposing Fraud on the Government

Whistleblower litigation has been on the rise. In 2009 alone, two separate whistleblowers earned over $100 million for uncovering fraud against the government. In one case, Eli Lilly and Co. agreed to settle for $1.6 billion charges that it illegally promoted its antipsychotic drug, Zyprexa, for unapproved uses. The whistleblowers, former Lilly employees, took about $100 million of the settlement as their reward. In the other, Pfizer said it would pay $2.3 billion to settle charges that it illegally promoted numerous drugs, including the painkiller Bextra. The whistleblowers took about $102 million.

The attorneys of Heffner & Hurst have years of experience prosecuting whistleblower actions on both the state and federal levels. We are currently litigating against two of the largest internet retailers in the world for failing to collect sales taxes. In the past, our attorneys have handled numerous whistleblower actions against contractors who lied about the goods or services they were providing to the government. Both the federal government and many state governments have incentive awards for whistleblowers who uncover a fraud against the government (usually 15-30% of the amount ultimately recovered). HH is currently investigating several different types of fraud against the government. Examples include:

Medicare/Medicaid Fraud

Unfortunately, Medicare and Medicaid are prime targets for fraud. As 60 Minutes recently reported, up to $60 billion a year is wasted every year due to fraud in these programs. Examples of this type of fraud include overcharging, double-billing, miscategorizing services, charging for services or products not rendered, or providing substandard equipment.

Military Contractor Fraud

More and more, the lives of our soldiers and safety of our nation are placed in the hands of private contractors. Failure to provide contracted services or products jeopardizes us all. Examples of this type of fraud include substandard goods, not providing the goods or services, covering up failed tests, or any number of misdeeds.

Pharmaceuticals

Some of the biggest settlements have come from the pharmaceutical companies, especially from “off- label” uses of drugs or medical devices. Often, the government winds up paying for these unauthorized uses that are of little benefit to either the patient or the public.

If you think you have a case or would like a free consultation, please contact us today.