Whistle blowing is a term for disclosing wrong doing that a worker believes is evidence of gross waste, illegality, abuse of power and danger to the public health and safety. Thousand of workers witness wrongdoing at work. Most remain silent. They decide that it’s not their concern; that nothing they can do would improve things, or they can’t afford problems at work. Other workers choose to speak out. They blow the whistle on illegal and unethical conduct in the workplace.

    When you are thinking of filing a whistle blowing lawsuit, document the facts and work up the case properly. A whistle blowing lawsuit can take from two weeks to three months or more to prepare depending on the complexity and need to file the case quickly. The whistle blowing lawsuit must be worked up in detail in order to make sure that the case is solid. Moreover, a whistle blowing lawsuit is filed under seal in federal court. This means that neither the company the case is being filed against, nor anyone else other than the government, is informed. Because whistle blowing lawsuit based on the same or similar allegations cannot be filed more than once, it is critical to file the case first. The team that is first to file the case will be the only team that can pursue the case.

    Typically, whistle blowing lawsuits settle for double damages, meaning repayment of twice the amount of money that the government overpaid due to the fraudulent actions of the company. If the company does not settle, then the case proceeds just like any other civil lawsuit, concluding in a trial. In short, it is only upon the filing of a whistle blowing lawsuit and a subsequent settlement or favorable judgment that enables a private party to receive a recovery. In order to be eligible to recover money, you must file a whistle blowing lawsuit. Merely informing the Government about the violation is not enough. Furthermore, a plaintiff receives an award only if, and after, the Government recovers money from the defendant as a result of the whistle blowing lawsuit.

    Whistle blowing lawsuits may save lives, money, or the environment. However, instead of praise for the public service of committing the truth whistleblowers are often targeted for retaliation, harassment, intimidation, demotion, and dismissal and blacklisting. In addition, beyond the risks of job loss and weak legal protection there is also an emotional and mental price to pay for whistle blowing. Friends may turn against you; co-workers may treat you as an outcast.

    Hence, do not blow the whistle unless you are prepared to follow through on your charges. It will be difficult to stop in mid-stream and as a general rule it is better to have looked the other way than to have blown the whistle half way.