Contingency Business Litigation Attorney Blog

Planned Parenthood, always a topic of controversy, has been in the news a lot lately. Most recently, the breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen for the Cure came under fire for pulling funding to Planned Parenthood, saying they had adopted a new policy of not funding organizations that are under investigation.

That controversy died down when the cancer-fighting organization dropped its policy amid supporters' protest and again continued funding the women's organization. But Planned Parenthood is now enduring more heat, this time in Texas, where it is being named in a federal lawsuit by a whistleblower who claims the organization ran a multi-million dollar billing scam, The Lufkin News reports.

Whistleblower cases are those where an insider at a company makes allegations that there is wrongdoing - potentially of a criminal nature - within the organization. Often, these are people who notice accounting issues and bring them to the attention of bosses, only to be turned away. Sometimes, the issue relates to personnel problems.

Small businesses can be slapped with official complaints or state and federal investigations by employees who act as whistleblowers. If this is the case, the company requires a contingency business litigation attorney who can uphold the rights of the company and seek a quick and cost-effective resolution.

If an employee begins making allegations to regulators about conduct within the business, it can be distracting. Not only that, but it can ruin employee morale and turn off both potential business partners and investors. It is best that these matters be addressed quickly in order to minimize the potential damage.

Our whistleblower attorneys know that dealing with state and federal laws as well as possible lawsuits is a headache for businesses. Entrusting these matters to an experienced law firm may be the best plan to keep the company on track as the issues are ongoing. On a contingency basis, the company is able to get legal representation without fees upfront. In the event the case is successful, that's when the law firm gets paid.

The Ferraro Law Firm also handles Qui Tam Whistleblower cases. In such cases, a whistleblower may come forward about government waste, often the result of fraudulent billing or invoicing, and is entitled to a percentage of the proceeds.

In the Planned Parenthood lawsuit, a woman who worked for the company 10 years alleges she was instructed to maximize billing revenue when Medicaid and the Women's Health Program was being billed. That was the procedure in 12 locations in Texas and Louisiana.

The lawsuit claims the organization, which receives funding for women's health issues, falsified patient records, billed the government for unwarranted procedures and also billed the government for things patients didn't get.

This type of lawsuit can be damaging because it alleges criminal activity. This could lead to a larger investigation by law enforcement authorities. That would bring more bad news for the organization, which is already dealing with the negative publicity from a whistleblower lawsuit.

In cases where businesses need to minimize the negative publicity and still fight back against the allegations in order to protect their name and reputation, a contingency business litigation lawyer can be useful.