Qui Tam Basics: What is a Qui Tam Lawsuit

A qui tam lawsuit is an action brought by a private citizen, known as a whistleblower on behalf of the government to recover funds that have been fradulently obtained from the government.

Many times a whistleblower is an employee or former employee of the defendant, and theses actions are brought in a confidential lawsuit filed in federal court under seal.

Evidence that can be brought to the government can include:

• Inflated billing to Medicare or Medicaid;
• Providing substandard goods or services; and
• Lying about eligibility for government contracts or federally subsidized loans.

The key when bringing evidence it demonstrating intentional fraud.



The False Claims Act has protections for whistleblowers to prevent retaliation for speaking up.

Qui tam lawsuits are a powerful tool for everyday citizens to hold both large and small businesses accountable and protect taxpayer dollars.