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Qui Tam Rewards Over the Past Decade

As the Department of Justice’s Civil Division has traced the total rewards granted from qui tam cases, the law has clearly proven itself a useful tool to fight fraud. Qui tam law was founded on the principle that those with knowledge of wrongdoing would come forward if offered a significant reward. In action, this whistleblowing law grants protection and financial rewards to those who pursue cases against fraudulent government contractors.

To discuss your options if you know about fraudulent deals involving government money, contact the qui tam lawyers of Tycko & Zavareei, LLP, by calling 202-973-0900.

Qui Tam in the 2000s

Qui tam lawsuits can be used to fight fraud in a number of different situations. From healthcare fraud to military contractor fraud, whistleblowers have returned billions of dollars to the federal government over the past decade. The following are the total shares rewarded to relators, or whistleblowers, in past years:

2000: $184,054,520
2001: $217,970,693
2003: $338,564,598
2005: $170,612,237
2008: $201,753,111

These sums were paid to whistleblowers in total, which includes both cases assisted by the Department of Justice and cases that were not. Over the past 20 years, this sum has totaled over $2 billion.

The rewards of a qui tam suit are twofold. Not only do whistleblowers receive a sum of money according to their part in the lawsuit, but they are able to assist the federal government with recovering taxpayer funds. These suits specifically target abuses with public money from government contracts and programs, meaning that a victory for a whistleblower is a victory for taxpayers across the country.