-ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER-
Under new legislation signed last November by President Obama, the federal government has made it a priority to protect whistleblowers who report waste and fraud in both private industry and government agencies. Enhancements to the whistleblower protection laws state that federal employees may challenge policy decisions without fear of losing their jobs. The law now provides for agencies to appoint an ombudsman to assist whistle blowers to protect themselves from retaliation by their employers.
In a recent settlement against drug company GSK, whistleblower Cheryl Eckard received a portion of a $96 million-dollar settlement, the largest ever awarded a whistleblower. Among the allegations was that Eckard was laid off her position of Quality Manager after she reported the poor practices at GSK’s Puerto Rico facility. She pursued the case, bringing it to the attention of federal regulators and the US Justice Department. It took over eight years for the case to settle at great cost to Eckard who was alleged to have lost friends, gained weight and struggled with making mortgage payments. Despite the difficulties, Eckard recommends that those in the midst of the process not give up the fight.
According to Robert Storch at the Justice Department, there were approximately 5000 complaints in 2012. The difficulty is in sifting through thousands of emails and phone calls to determine which of the thousands of potential cases to pursue.
If you have reported wrongdoing at your place of business, you may need to seek legal advice. Evans Law Firm, Inc. specializes in litigation in matters of fraud and waste in government and private industry. Contact Evans Law Firm, Inc., info@evanslaw.com or 415-441-8669.
www.evanslaw.com San Francisco, CA
Evans Law Firm, Inc. handles elder abuse (physical and financial), consumer fraud class actions involving particularly insurance and banking fraud claims, consumer product liability and personal injury/wrongful death cases, asbestos-mesothelioma, pharmaceutical product liability, negligence personal injury claims, as well as Qui Tam (whistleblower/false claims), IRS tax fraud lawsuits, securities fraud whistleblower reward lawsuits, retaliation and employment litigation.
