Sacramento Whistleblower Lawyer

Sacramento Whistleblower Attorney

Legal Counsel for Sacramento, CA, Whistleblowers

Many people may witness or experience problems in their workplaces that compel them to report these events to the appropriate authorities. Unfortunately, some whistleblowers do not know how to appropriately file their reports, and many face adverse treatment. If you or a relative recently discovered evidence of illegal, unethical, or noncompliant practices in your workplace or any other organization in the Sacramento, CA, area, you need legal counsel you can trust to navigate you through the complicated legal proceedings you are likely to face.

Why Should I Hire a Sacramento Whistleblower Lawyer?

It’s natural for whistleblowers to feel isolated, targeted, and distressed by their circumstances. As a result, many of these individuals will attempt to file reports internally through the appropriate channels of authority within their organizations only to discover that their supervisors are compromised by the same issues they intended to report, or they are fired or otherwise mistreated for bringing their issues to light. Others attempt to go outside of their workplaces and file their reports externally with state or federal agencies, but they have difficulty navigating these processes or do not know how to properly construct their reports.

Working with an experienced Sacramento whistleblower attorney is the best way to address these common concerns and approach a whistleblower report process with greater confidence and peace of mind. Your attorney can not only advise you as to the best method of filing your report and determining which agencies you must contact, but they can also help you take legal action in response to retaliation you experienced from filing your report.

Clark Employment Law, APC, has years of experience handling complex whistleblower cases on behalf of clients throughout the Sacramento, CA, area. We understand the challenging position a whistleblower faces and the uncertainty surrounding the reporting process. We also know the distress that often follows unfair retaliation to a whistleblower report made in good faith. Our team can provide the legal counsel you need in this challenging position.

Common Types of Whistleblower Cases

Whistleblowers have been vital catalysts for change across various industries, sometimes leading to complete overhauls of accepted processes and encouraging more scrutiny and oversight in sectors prone to corruption and malfeasance. Some of the most common types of whistleblower reports filed in the US include:

• Health care system whistleblowing. Some health care organizations, hospitals, and individual providers have engaged in fraudulent billing practices of government-funded programs Medicare and Medicaid, patient exploitation, and coverups of negligent medical care. Health care whistleblowers may need to expose violations under the False Claims Act or explore external reporting channels when their employers are involved in corrupt practices.
• Government contractor whistleblowing. Government contractors typically secure lucrative deals with the government to perform specific services and projects. As a result, whistleblowers have reported illegitimate billing practices, misuse of government funding, and various other contractual violations.
• Financial sector whistleblowing. The financial services industry is especially prone to malfeasance and corruption for obvious reasons. Whistleblowers have exposed insider trading, customer exploitation, embezzlement, and countless forms of fraud over the years.
• Environmental regulation whistleblowing. Many organizations are beholden to strict environmental protection regulations. As a result, there have been many whistleblower reports pertaining to obfuscated environmental regulatory compliance, hazardous business practices, and other malfeasance that endangers environmental safety and even public health.

Anyone in virtually any industry can discover problems that warrant whistleblower reports. Unfortunately, not all of these people receive the support and guidance they need to file their reports successfully and many experience adverse retaliation for their efforts made in good faith. A Sacramento whistleblower attorney is the ideal resource to consult if you must file a whistleblower report or have filed a report and experienced a wrongful termination or other retaliation from your employer.

FAQs on Whistleblower Attorney, Sacramento

How Are Whistleblowers Protected in the US?

The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 provides legal protection for federal employees who disclose confidential information in whistleblower reports made in good faith. In 2014, this law was amended to offer the same protection to employees of private companies. Now, any employee has the right to file a whistleblower report in good faith without facing unjust reprisal.

What Is the False Claims Act?

The False Claims Act pertains to fraudulent abuse of government-funded programs. For example, whistleblowers have come forward to report various healthcare organizations’ misuse of the Medicare and Medicaid systems, over-billing, and double-billing procedures for personal gain. This type of whistleblower report is likely to generate expansive criminal proceedings against the party engaged in false claims.

How Do I File a Whistleblower Report?

There are two main methods of filing a whistleblower report. The first is an internal report through the appropriate channels within your organization. The second is an external report to the relevant government agencies with oversight of your organization. In many cases, whistleblowers file internal reports with no real action taken or experience retaliation. These situations typically escalate to external reports.

What Are the Potential Consequences for Whistleblower Retaliation?

An employer who retaliates against an employee for filing a whistleblower report in good faith can face severe criminal penalties. The employee would also have the right to file a civil claim for damages that can allow them to recover compensation for their lost income and their emotional distress. Some whistleblowers may even be rewarded for exposing certain behaviors, but whistleblowers may not file reports simply out of hope for a reward.

Whistleblower cases can be extraordinarily complex, and the whistleblowers involved often face a wide range of adverse treatment. Clark Employment Law, APC, has extensive experience providing legal counsel to whistleblowers of all kinds across all industries. We understand the stress and anxiety that can accompany your need to file a whistleblower report. We want to provide the support and guidance you need in this challenging situation. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with a Sacramento whistleblower lawyer and learn more about the legal services we can provide.