Public policy in the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the United States favors exposing illegal business activity, especially where the victim is the government. If you know of such activity, you may need legal advice regarding how to alert legal authorities or the victim of your employer’s unlawful actions so that you are protected against adverse actions your employer might take in retaliation. If your employer fires, demotes, or reassigns you, or takes any other punitive actions, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Unfortunately, many attorneys are reluctant to take on these hard-to-prove cases, so employers often punish whistleblowers with impunity. That’s why you should contact Jeremiah A. Denton III, P.C.. We’ve built our reputation over more than 40 years by applying hard work to complex cases and delivering excellent results.
Under Virginia’s Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act, the commonwealth prohibits employers from discharging, threatening, discriminating or retaliating against whistleblowers acting on their own initiative or responding to a subpoena from an appropriate authority. However, the whistleblower must make allegations of wrongdoing in good faith; the law does not protect employees who make false accusations negligently, recklessly or maliciously. Finally, an employer can discipline a whistleblower for misconduct unrelated to the whistleblowing activity. A whistleblower who suffers unlawful retaliation can seek damages. Whistleblowing activity that results in a savings to the commonwealth of at least $10,000 may be eligible for a reward from Virginia’s Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund.
There are several federal laws that provide protections for whistleblowers in different circumstances. Our attorneys work with clients with claims related to:
If you are considering stepping forward as a whistleblower, our firm can provide professional and personalized representation to give you immediate peace of mind and sound guidance throughout the legal process.
To prevail in a whistleblower lawsuit against your employer, you must be able to prove a “discriminatory motive.” That means presenting clear evidence that your employer’s discipline or mistreatment of you was in response to your whistleblowing and not due to poor job performance or any unrelated factor. That burden of proof can make a whistleblower case difficult to win. Fortunately, our firm has built its reputation on getting excellent results from cases that other attorneys might turn down. Our hard work and determination can lead to excellent results for you.
Jeremiah A. Denton III, P.C. provides reliable guidance and skilled trial representation in state and federal whistleblower cases. To learn about your rights, speak to a knowledgeable lawyer today. To schedule an appointment, call 757-215-4818 or contact our Virginia Beach office online.