Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Oil Rig Whistleblower Receives $1 Million

A former oil rig worker, Robert Daniel Marcy, has received a $1 million award for blowing the whistle on his former employer, Rowan Companies Inc.  Marcy observed and videotaped other Rowan employees dumping oil, hydraulic fluid, and other pollutants into the Gulf of Mexico.  Marcy was terminated from the company after complaining about these practices.

Mr. Marcy’s whistleblower lawsuit resulted in a federal criminal prosecution.  Rowan Companies Inc. pleaded guilty to the charges and were ordered to pay a $7 million criminal fine along with a $2 million fine to be paid to five state government enforcement organizations for environmental community service projects.

Click here to read more aboutOil Rig Whistleblower Receives $1 Million.

Monday, November 19, 2007

U.S. Joins Whistleblower Suit Against Lockheed

The United States has joined a whistleblower lawsuit against Lockheed Martin Corp. for its alleged involvement in one of Lockheed’s vendors price gouging against the government. 

Tools & Metals Inc. had contracted with Lockheed in 1998 to supply Lockheed Martin with all perishable tools needed to manufacture the F-16 and F-22 for the Defense Department.  The suit alleges that Lockheed is independently liable for Tools & Metals Inc. violating the False Claims Act.

The lawsuit was filed by former Tools & Metals Inc. executive John Becker and a TMI competitor, Robert Spencer.

Click here to read the Dallas Business Journal article, United States Joins Lockheed Suit.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Minnesota Cancer Clinic Settles Qui Tam Suit

The Parker Hughes Cancer Center in Roseville, MN has agreed to pay the federal government $150,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former clinic physician.  The lawsuit, filed by Dr. Robert Thomas, alleged that the center overbilled Medicare for the inappropriate administration of intravenous fluids and other cancer treatments.  Dr. Thomas was employed by the clinic for eight months in 2001.

As a whistleblower, Thomas is entitled by federal law to part of what the government collects.  One of Thomas’ attorneys, Marshall Tannick, said, “Even though the amount of the settlement is not high, he feels that he performed an important public service.”

Click here to read David Shaffer’s article in the Star Tribune, Parker Hughes Cancer Center Settles Whistleblower Suit.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Stryker Corp. Settles False Billings Case

Michigan based Stryker Corporation, which manufactures artificial knees and hips, and its former outpatient therapy division, has agreed to pay $16.6 million to resolve claims that it submitted false bills to Medicare and Medicaid. 

The outpatient therapy division, Physiotherapy Associates Inc. allegedly billed Medicare Medicaid and a Defense Department health program for services it didn’t provide.

The settlement resulted from a qui tam suit brought under the federal False Claims Act.  The two whistleblowers who brought the cases will receive almost $3 million.

Click here to read Robert Schmidt’s article Stryker to pay $16.6M to settle false billings case.

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