A Whistleblower Retaliation Attorney Can Help
Being a whistleblower takes personal sacrifice and professional risk. That's why when you blow the whistle you want to know that you will be protected against retaliation.
Whistleblower protection laws provide whistleblowers protection against discrimination, harassment, and reprisal. They give whistleblowers the right to file a private lawsuit or assert a claim in the event the whistleblower suffers retaliation for whistle blowing.
Being a whistleblower takes personal sacrifice and professional risk.
Whistleblower retaliation occurs when you are discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, intimidated, harassed, or subjected to a hostile work environment after engaging in a protected whistleblower activity.
Protected whistleblower activities generally fall into four broad categories:
- Reporting, which includes making a complaint about an alleged violation of the law to a government agency or employer
- Filing, which includes initiating a lawsuit or other legal proceeding
- Testifying, which includes providing oral statements in a legal proceeding
- Opposing, which includes refusing to perform a task or activity that you reasonably believe is illegal
You should know that not all forms of whistle blowing activities are protected.
Your right to protection will depend upon the whistleblowing laws that apply to your case.
If you have been the victim of whistleblower retaliation, you should immediately seek legal advice from a whistleblower retaliation attorney. Our whistleblower retaliation attorneys provide assistance to whistleblowers throughout Georgia and across the United States.
Do I Have a Good Whistleblower Retaliation Case?
The first thing our whistleblower retaliation lawyers will do is determine if you have a good case.
Building a strong whistleblower retaliation case requires a detailed investigation and a careful plan of action. Our law firm immediately implements a strategy for your success by:
- Identifying all important documents, evidence, and witnesses to discover the unique facts and circumstances of your case
- Implementing a proactive plan to help protect you from future retaliation
- Taking legal action, when necessary, to compensate you for your losses and injuries
Your ultimate success will turn upon the whistleblower retaliation laws that apply to your case.
There are many important federal whistleblower protection laws that protect employees, contractors, and agents from whistleblower retaliation and reprisals. The most important ones include the:
- Federal False Claims Act (FCA), which protects qui tam whistleblowers from retaliation after they complain about or oppose government fraud
- Dodd Frank Act (DFA), which protects whistleblowers from retaliation after they provide original information to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodities Futures Trading Commission or the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
- Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX), which protects whistleblowers from retaliation after they complain about violations of mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, or violations of SEC rules or regulations or federal laws relating to fraud against shareholders
- Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA), which protects federal government employee whistleblowers from retaliation after they report agency misconduct
In addition to federal protection, Georgia has enacted two important state whistleblower protection laws. They are the:
- Georgia State False Medicaid Claims Act (GSFMCA), which protects whistleblowers from retaliation after they complain about false or fraudulent claims submitted to the Georgia Medicaid program
- Georgia Whistleblower Act (GWA), which protects state government whistleblowers from retaliation after they report fraudulent, wasteful, or abusive state government activities
Whistleblower laws are complex. Each case requires a strategy tailored to the unique facts and whistleblower laws that apply to your case.
Working with a skilled whistleblower retaliation attorney is the key to winning your whistleblower case.
Choosing the Right Whistleblower Retaliation Lawyer Can Make All the Difference
If your whistleblower rights have been violated, the best way to start seeking justice is by speaking with an experienced whistleblower retaliation lawyer.
Proving whistleblower retaliation often involves complex legal questions and analysis.
Without legal help, proving a whistleblower retaliation case can be extremely challenging. To win your case, you generally must demonstrate:
- That you have suffered retaliation after engaging in conduct protected by a whistleblower law;
- That your employer was aware, or "on notice," that you were engaging in a protected whistleblower activity; and,
- That your employer retaliated against you because of your protected whistleblower activities.
Once you prove your case, you may be entitled to significant compensation.
The types of compensation that you will be eligible to recover will vary, depending upon the exact whistleblower laws that apply to your case. The most common types of damages available in whistleblower retaliation cases include:
- Back pay, which is the amount of money you would have earned in the past had the whistleblower retaliation not occurred. It includes payment for back wages, and employee benefits based on a calculation of what you would have received in the past.
- Front pay, which is the amount of money you would have earned in the future had the whistleblower retaliation not occurred. It includes payment for lost pay, and employee benefits based on an estimate of how much you would have earned in the future.
- Compensatory damages, which is an amount of money to make you whole and includes damages that are harder to measure. It includes payment for pain, suffering, injury to your reputation, and anxiety you have experienced in the past and will reasonably experience in the future.
- Liquidated damages, which is an award of money designed to punish and deter your employer for violating your whistleblower rights. It includes a doubling of the amount of back pay you receive.
Act quickly. Whistleblower retaliation cases have short deadlines. If you miss even one, your entire case may be thrown out.
You have taken a stand for what's right. Now let us stand up for you.
