In Their Own Words - Tykulsker
Posted 01/9/15
Whistleblower Group
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January 9, 2015
New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced a settlement with Encore Capital Group, Inc., a major debt buyer, for bringing improper debt collection actions against thousands of New York consumers. According the state, Encore sued New York consumers and obtained uncontested default judgments against consumers who failed to respond to the lawsuits, even though the underlying claims were untimely under New York law. Under the settlement, Encore will seek to vacate more than 4,500 improperly obtained judgments totaling nearly $18 million. Encore will also reform its debt collection practices and pay civil penalties and costs in the amount of $675,000. NYDOJ Catch Of The Week -- Institute For Cardiovascular Excellence
Posted 01/9/15
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
This week's Department of Justice "catch of the week" goes to Florida cardiologist, Dr. Asad Qamar, and his physician group, the Institute for Cardiovascular Excellence. On Monday, the DOJ intervened in two whistleblower lawsuits alleging Qamar and his group billed Medicare for medically unnecessary peripheral artery interventions and paid kickbacks to patients by waiving...
Whistleblower News From The Inside - January 9, 2015
Posted 01/9/15
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
NJ Supreme Court to decide whether to gut workplace protections for whistleblowers -- The Court is about to decide whether to maintain the whistleblower protections of the state’s Conscientious Employees Protection Act “or effectively repeal them by judicial fiat . . . [by declaring] that workers would not be protected if reporting wrongdoing could be considered to be part of...
The Not So Friendly Skies: When "Saying Something" Leads to Retaliation
Posted 01/8/15
By Marlene Koury
We all know the motto: if you see something, say something. The thirteen senior United flight attendants making the news this week saw something, said something, and, as alleged in their complaint filed earlier this week, were fired in retaliation.
On July 14, 2014, while preparing to depart San Francisco with a nearly full 747 plane bound for Hong Kong, the attendants became aware that someone...
Fifth Circuit Finds Government Knowledge Defense Not Appropriate On Motion To Dismiss
Posted 01/8/15
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Under the so-called "government knowledge" defense, the government's awareness of a fraud can defeat False Claims Act liability on the ground the defendant did not "knowingly" defraud the government since the government acted with full information. It is not a statutory defense but merely a way for a defendant to rebut the intent (or scienter) element of a False Claims Act...
In Their Own Words - Lam
Posted 01/7/15
-- “Given the gravity of the risks involved – the lives of passengers and crew alike – we were not willing to bow to United's pressure to ignore an unresolved security threat even though the company made clear that we risked losing our jobs.”
Grace Lam, one of the terminated flight attendants who filed a whistleblower complaint against United. Click here for more.Whistleblower News From The Inside - January 7, 2015
Posted 01/7/15
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Flight attendants file whistleblower complaint against United – Thirteen flight attendants charged the airline with unlawfully firing them in retaliation for refusing to fly on a Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft after learning of a credible and specific threat to the safety of the aircraft, its passengers and crew. Herald Online
Navy Commander pleads guilty in bribery...