Sacramento Labor Attorneys Enforce Whistleblower Protections
Aggressive pursuit of damages for unlawful retaliation throughout the state of California
If in the course of your employment, you discover that your employer is violating the law, you can do something about it. State and federal law includes protections for whistleblowers, employees who come forward and reveal that the company is acting illegally. At Mastagni Holstedt, A Professional Corporation, our litigation attorneys have decades of experience in actions to enforce the rights of whistleblowers. If you wish to come forward with an allegation against your employer or are suffering retaliation for a charge you did make, we can help.
Filing a whistleblower claim in California
Whistleblower claims arise after an employee reveals that the employer has violated a state or federal law. The worker’s allegation could involve an OSHA violation, a pattern of discrimination, illegal dumping of toxic waste, or any statute or regulation employers are required to follow. The law states that the worker is protected from any adverse job action that results from making a whistleblower claim. Unfortunately, companies that violate the law in the first place don’t always follow the whistleblower statute. Workers often find themselves dealing with:
- Wrongful termination
- Demotion
- Denial of promotion
- Suspension
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- Transfer
- Reassignment to dead-end duties
- Threats and harassment
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If you’ve faced harsh discipline because of a whistleblower claim, the law is behind you. You can recover damages, such as triple your lost pay, and even be re-instated if you’ve been wrongly terminated. But, having the law is behind you doesn’t mean it’s easy to win your case. It’s usually very challenging to uncover evidence that links the adverse job action directly to the whistleblower claim. To prevail, you need experienced and knowledgeable legal counsel. Our attorneys have successfully resolved many challenging whistleblower cases and, to date, have collected hundreds of millions of dollars in recoveries for our clients.
False Claims Act (Qui Tam) representation
Under the federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729 – 3733, a person with knowledge of fraud against the government can sue the wrongdoer in federal court on behalf of the U.S. government. If the suit succeeds, the government recovers three times the amount defrauded in damages plus civil penalties of $5,000 to $10,000 for each fraudulent claim the defendant has filed. The qui tam plaintiff is eligible to receive from 15 to 30 percent of the judgment. Similar laws exist in California for fraud against the state government.
Qui tam lawsuits are potentially lucrative, so it is not difficult to find an attorney who is willing to file suit. What’s more difficult is finding an attorney who can competently prosecute your lawsuit. Since attorneys take qui tam cases on a contingency fee basis, it costs you nothing. At Mastagni Holstedt, we have more than 45 years of experience in labor law with numerous accomplishments related to whistleblower and qui tam litigation.
Consult an experienced Northern and Southern California employment and labor law firm for whistleblower protection
If your employer has violated your rights as a whistleblower or has committed fraud against the government, get a legal opinion from Mastagni Holstedt, A.P.C., with offices in Sacramento, Rancho Cucamonga, Pleasanton and Redwood City. Put our decades of labor and employment law experience to work for you. To schedule a free consultation, contact us online or call 877-212-6907.