Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Discusses When to Accept an Insurance Company’s Settlement Offer

Many people who have been in a car accident contact me to ask whether they should accept an insurance company’s financial offer to settle their case. My answer is always the same—not without the help of an experienced personal injury attorney. While there are some simple cases where the other driver’s insurer makes a reasonable offer, the vast majority of initial offers are too small to adequately compensate you for your injuries, your passengers’ injuries, loss of work, damage to your vehicle, and unforeseen medical expenses. Insurance companies know that after an accident, you are likely anxious to start repairing or replacing your vehicle, may be out of work, and need money. Many accident victims are eager to accept any payment, however inadequate.  This is a significant mistake, and attaining the help of a personal injury attorney can help you avoid it. Because I so often receive questions about settlement offers, I have written the following blog post to describe how I advise clients who have been involved in an automobile accident.

If you were involved in a car accident, you will need the help of experienced counsel to attain your fair share of compensation for your injuries, car replacement, and loss of work. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

Should I Accept a Settlement Offer from the Insurance Company?

 You should never accept an insurance company’s initial offer to settle your case. Often, insurance companies will send injured parties a check in the mail because they know that accident victims often need money immediately to cover the costs associated with the crash. But if you cash that check, you are likely foreclosing any ability to get any more compensation and are waiving any future claims.  Don’t do it.

The problem with the insurance company’s initial offer is that it often fails to contemplate all of the expenses related to the accident. While it may replace your car and cover a night at the emergency room, those expenses are tiny compared to a lifetime of medical care that you may need to address a chronic neck or back problem that may arise months after the accident.  Similarly, an initial offer rarely compensates the victim for loss of work that may occur from migraines or headaches that often result from accidents.  Simply put, an insurance company’s initial offer is rarely worth considering, and is never worth considering until all of your injuries have completely healed, and you have been deemed healed by a medical provider. Up until that point, you cannot know whether your injuries are behind you or whether you will need a lifetime of expensive care to deal with their constant or periodic flare-ups.

While you should not accept an insurance company’s initial offer, you also cannot wait endlessly to decide.  Mississippi has a three-year statute of limitations, meaning you have three years from the time of your accident to decide whether to file suit against the person who injured you or your passengers.

What Should You Do If You Have Been in a Car Accident?

As I described above, if another driver’s negligence injured you or a loved one, you will need the assistance of a talented personal injury attorney to help you decide whether to accept an insurance company’s settlement offer or to press on and litigate to attain your fair share of compensation.  If you are in a car accident, you should seek immediate medical attention and then contact an experienced personal injury attorney.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you have been injured as a result of another person’s negligence. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Pool Drownings

It is summer here in Mississippi, which means that everyone is spending as much time as possible floating in the pool.  There is nothing that I love more than the sound of children playing in the water, but there is nothing worse than the drownings that predictably occur each summer. Tragically, almost all of these drownings are preventable, and their cause is consistently some form of negligence on the part of the adults charged with protecting children from harm. In this blog post, I will describe the causes of drownings and what you should do, heaven forbid, if your loved one drowns in a pool.

If you have experienced the tragedy of a pool drowning, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your loss. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

What You Need to Know About Drownings

Ten people die every day in the U.S. in swimming-related drownings.  For every person that drowns, five more are hospitalized due to a near-drowning. Pools must be maintained so that they are safe, and there must be adequate lifeguard or adult supervision to keep children safe.  Many children are injured in pools that are not maintained adequately or lack sufficient signage to warn them of dangers related to diving into shallow water. Similarly, adults must be able to observe children playing above ground pools, as this pool’s construction often obscures the view of those charged with keeping children safe. Both indoor and outdoor pools must have filter caps and other suction devices that will not entrap children who often play near them.  Ladders must be solidly affixed to prevent unintentional slips and falls.

 Negligence and Attractive Nuisance

To have a successful claim against the owner of a pool, you will usually have to prove that he or she was negligent or that the pool was an attractive nuisance. “Negligent” means that the person had a duty to protect the public and failed to take reasonable steps to meet that duty, resulting in an injury. With pools, the responsibility to protect the public is quite high, as they are a known danger and are frequented by children who cannot adequately protect themselves.  Pool owners must reasonably maintain their pool and provide adequate supervision to keep swimmer safe.

An “attractive nuisance” occurs when a landowner owns something—here a pool—known to be attractive to children, that is a danger to children, that poses a risk that is difficult for children to comprehend fully, and that is not sufficiently guarded or walled off to protect children from hurting themselves.  This is why pools must be fenced off with a fence high enough to keep children from easily wandering into the pool. Similarly, a half-filled swimming pool is an attractive nuisance because children can easily climb into it, but may have great difficulty climbing out. The issue of “reasonableness” is often at issue in these cases, as parties rarely agree what is reasonable to prevent children from accessing a dangerous hazard.

What Should You Do If Your Child Has Been Injured While Swimming in a Pool?

As I described above, if your child or loved one was injured in a swimming accident, you will need the assistance of a talented personal injury attorney to demonstrate that the pool owner was negligent or maintained an attractive nuisance.  If your loved one was injured by or drowned in a pool, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney immediately.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if your child has suffered pool-related injury. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Jet Ski Accidents

In Mississippi’s hot summer months, there is nothing like skipping across a lake on a jet ski. These fast-moving, lightweight watercraft are the perfect vehicle for those who want the thrill of speed combined with jumping off of waves and making tight, high speed turns. But the very things that make jet skis thrilling also make them potentially deadly, especially when they are misused or by those that are too young or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Sadly, many people are injured and killed by Jet Skis every year in the United States, and they or their loved ones must pick up the pieces from a fun day on the water gone awry.  If a jet ski driver injured you or a loved one, you are due compensation for injuries, loss of work, and other expenses you have incurred.

You will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for a Jet Ski accident. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

What Are the Defining Aspects of Jet Ski Accidents?

A jet ski is a small, one or two-person watercraft.  The driver sits or stands on the jet ski, which has a powerful inboard jet motor and steering similar to a bicycle.  These watercraft have become increasingly user-friendly and easy to use. That said, they are also capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, making collisions involving them as dangerous as car accidents. They share many of the dangers of automobiles as well, with inexperienced and inebriated drivers both posing severe risks to themselves and those that share the water with them.

 

If you are injured in a jet ski accident, you should seek the help of an experienced personal injury attorney immediately. The majority of jet ski accidents are caused by “operator error,” meaning that either the driver lacked sufficient training or that he or she was struck by someone who lacked experience or was somehow incapacitated.  Accordingly, if you were driving and lost control of the jet ski, you may have been poorly trained to use the watercraft. A claim against the jet ski rental shop would have to show that they provided you with a vehicle without adequately warning you of its inherent danger.

Similarly, the jet ski’s manufacturer may have failed to adequately warn you and the rental shop of the dangers inherent in these watercraft. A legal claim based on “failure to warn” will be more akin to a products liability claim than a traditional negligence case.

Finally, if another driver strikes you, your claim will likely be more similar to an automobile accident case, where your attorney will have to prove the other driver’s negligence. This is particularly true if the person was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, where they can also be prosecuted criminally. If the person is found criminally to have been under the influence at the time of the accident, it will be far easier to prove your negligence case, which will be based on a lower standard of proof.

What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured on a Jet Ski?

As I described above, if you or a loved one was injured on a Jet Ski, you must contact a personal injury attorney immediately. You may have claims against the Jet Ski manufacturer, the driver that struck you or your loved one, and any dealer that sold or rented the Jet Ski to you.  These are important and complex decisions requiring the assistance of experienced counsel.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have been injured. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Pedestrian Accidents

With Mississippi’s warm climate, you should always anticipate pedestrians walking alongside our roadways.  Unfortunately, pedestrian-vehicle collisions are also common. Because of the difference in size between automobiles and pedestrians, the results can be catastrophic. Long periods of recovery, severe debilitation, loss of work, and even death can result from one of these accidents. But when a vehicle hits a pedestrian, who is to blame?  I will explore the answer to that question below.

If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injury, counseling, and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

Pedestrian Accidents—Who is at Fault?

In a pedestrian accident where a vehicle such as a car or truck hits a person walking on the roadway, there will always be a question of fault.  Generally speaking, pedestrians are supposed to stay outside of the main roadway unless they are crossing the street. If a pedestrian is crossing the road, it should be done at an intersection and, preferably, at a stop sign or stoplight. If a vehicle strikes a pedestrian while he or she is off the main roadway or in a crosswalk, then the vehicle’s driver is usually at fault.

If a pedestrian darts into traffic or walks in the roadway, vehicle drivers still have a duty to try to avoid the pedestrian.  That said, if the pedestrian puts themselves in a situation where a collision is inevitable, such as in the middle of the road at night or on a blind corner, the driver is unlikely to be found at fault. The ultimate issue in these cases is reasonableness. A driver must take reasonable steps to avoid striking a pedestrian, even one in the roadway.

Drivers that strike pedestrians while they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol are almost always found to be acting unreasonably, as driving while intoxicated violates the duty of care that drivers owe others on the road. Interestingly, studies have shown that drivers who are on their phones while driving exhibit very similar driving behavior to intoxicated drivers. Accordingly, drivers who strike pedestrians while texting are also likely to be found responsible for any injuries the pedestrian suffers. Conversely, a pedestrian who wanders into the roadway is also likely to be found at fault if he or she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.

As one can imagine, when a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, there is often a dispute regarding where each party was at the time of the collision. These cases frequently require expert witness testimony to determine whether a pedestrian was reasonably avoidable when the vehicle hit him or her. You will want to hire an attorney with longstanding relationships with experts in accident re-creation and traffic issues.

What Should You Do If You Have Been Injured in a Pedestrian Accident?

If you were injured in an accident while walking on the road, you should seek medical attention immediately and contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Inexperienced counsel who only dabbles in personal injury law may lead you down a dead-end where you receive no compensation. Instead, let experienced counsel take care of preserving medical records, attaining expert opinions, reviewing evidence, and dealing with the defendant’s attorneys. These are essential tasks that only a personal injury attorney can handle for you.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a serious injury as a result of a pedestrian accident. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Discusses Finding the Best Attorney After a Rear-End Collision

If you drive on Mississippi’s roads, you have undoubtedly seen many “fender benders” or rear-end collisions between cars.  These accidents frequently result in whiplash and other soft tissue damage to the passengers’ necks and backs.  In this blog post, I will discuss two topics.  First, I will explain why rear-end collisions are particularly damaging. Second, I will explain what you should do if you are involved in rear-end collision. If you have been rear-ended, you need to speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney immediately, even if you do not feel injured.

If you or a loved one was involved in a rear-end collision, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injury, loss of work, and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

Rear-End Accidents—Common and Damaging

Rear-end collisions pose a significant threat to motorists for two reasons.  First, they are prevalent and occur any time a motorist stops quickly or when other drivers are distracted. In our era of cell phones, these accidents are commonly caused by drivers looking down to send a quick text.  Second, because rear-end collisions involve a tremendous amount of force pushing the driver’s body forward against his or her seatbelt and, hopefully, airbags, there is a massive amount of force placed on the neck and back.  Remember, your head weighs as much as a bowling ball, so when it thrusts forward, it puts incredible force on the soft tissue and muscles that usually support it.

The most common injury resulting from a rear-end collision is “whiplash,” when the head rapidly accelerates forward and backward.  Whiplash can manifest in several different symptoms, including neck pain, headaches, numbness, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, memory problems, irritability, and depression. In some accident victims, it arises immediately; in others, it takes days or weeks to manifest. Other injuries arising from rear-end collisions are sore or injured backs, trauma to the head, and fractures.

What to Do If You Are Involved in a Rear-End Collision

As I mentioned above, whiplash is the most common medical result of a rear-end collision, and this condition can develop long after the accident occurs.  As a result, you must attain a medical assessment of your health by a physician immediately after an accident.  Many people walk away from a crash, saying that they feel “fine.”  In reality, most accident victims are in shock and lack the clarity and experience to assess their condition adequately.  Attain a medical examination immediately so that there is a baseline assessment of your health after the crash.  If you wait to attain that assessment, the insurance company may argue that your pain and suffering arose from some subsequent event and may deny coverage.

Who Should I Call if I Was Involved in a Rear-End Collision?

If you or a loved one was involved in a rear-end collision, extensive, expensive medical treatment may be required, resulting in mounting bills lost income. Inexperienced counsel may lead you down a dead-end where you receive no compensation for your injuries. Instead, let experienced personal injury counsel take care of preserving your medical records, attaining expert medical opinions, and dealing with the defendant’s attorneys. These are essential tasks that only a personal injury attorney can handle for you.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a serious burn injury. Contact our experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney now at (601) 790-1505.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Attorney Explains How Workplace Pollutants Can Cause Sarcoidosis

When people hear the words “workers’ compensation,” they often think of people straining their backs lifting heavy objects, suffering from industrial burns, or developing carpal tunnel syndrome because of poor ergonomics. While all of those injuries are common in workplaces here in Mississippi, there is are also a large class of injuries that are not painful, have few or no external symptoms, and do not develop after a single incident.  Sarcoidosis is one of these conditions. It is an inflammatory condition that attacks multiple organs, usually focusing on the lymph glands and lungs.  In sarcoidosis, granulomas form around the body’s organs.  Granulomas are masses of cells. While many people can lead healthy lives while suffering from sarcoidosis, it granulomas can cause scarring on the heart, lungs, and other organs, which over time decreases the person’s quality of life and can even result in death. In this blog post, I will explore the workplace causes of sarcoidosis and what you should do if you are diagnosed with this disease.

If you or a loved one was injured at work, including a diagnosis of sarcoidosis, you will need to have experienced workers’ compensations counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your decrease in health and time away from work. Barrett Law has the experience to help you if you.  Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

Causes of Sarcoidosis

Work environments result in a significant percentage of sarcoidosis cases.  A recent journal article indicated that about a third of cases stem from the employee’s workplace.  Specifically, exposure to ambient dust and gases over time results in not only sarcoidial masses—granulomas—growing on workers organs, particularly their heart and lungs.  While these masses may not affect employees’ health at first, over time, they cause scarring on the organs that weaken the body and can even result in death.  Many people suffering from sarcoidosis also develop other better-known workplace breathing ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sarcoidosis is particularly an issue for firefighters, welders, farmworkers, and those working in industrial workplaces such as the petrochemical industry.  All of these workplaces are common in Mississippi. Negative health conditions like these can be exacerbated if workers are subjected to constant workplace dust and gasses without either sufficient ventilation or breathing filtration.

What Should You Do if You Were Diagnosed with Sarcoidosis?

If you receive a diagnosis of sarcoidosis, you have every right to file a workers’ compensation claim. You should be compensated for medical costs, loss of work, and damages related to your exposure to dust and vapor at work.  The first step of any workers’ compensation case is to report a claim with your employer.  Make sure that your report is timely, meaning it is filed as soon as you are aware of your condition.  Also, make sure that it is in writing and follows all of your employer’s injury reporting guidelines.  Next, contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to begin preparing the necessary documentation to support your claim. Let experienced counsel take care of preserving medical records, documenting the accident, attaining expert opinions, and dealing with your employer’s attorneys. These are essential tasks that only a workers’ compensation attorney can handle for you. If your claim is ever challenged, you will want to have detailed medical records and expenses related to your condition—your employer will not just take your word for it.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation law firm, to represent you if you have suffered an injury in the workplace or suffered retaliation as a result of your report. Contact our Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Attorney today at (601) 790-1505.

 

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Whistleblower Lawyer Discusses Davis-Bacon Act Qui Tam Cases

If you have performed hourly work for the federal government or work for a company that does construction or related activities, you have likely heard of “Davis-Bacon” wages.  The term “Davis-Bacon” comes from the federal Davis-Bacon Act, which ensures that private companies working for the federal government do not attain lucrative government contracts by lowering employees’ wages.  Instead, Davis-Bacon mandates that government contractors must pay their employees “local prevailing wages.”  This prevents contractors from pushing wages lower and lower in a community as they compete for government bids. If a contractor intentionally ignores or flouts the Davis-Bacon statute, it can be prosecuted under the False Claims Act; I will describe what this sort of complaint would look like below.

Are you considering becoming a whistleblower? You will need the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney to help you answer questions about taping as well as many others.  Contact Barrett Law now at (601) 790-1505 to attain the advice you need.

The Davis-Bacon Act and Qui Tam Whistleblower Cases

There are two different aspects of the Davis-Bacon Act that are at issue in whistleblower cases.  One is for construction contracts, and the other is for service contracts.  For construction contracts, all government contractors and subcontractors must pay employees the “locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits” for similar work.  For service contracts, contractors and subcontractors must pay “wage rates and fringe benefits prevailing in the locality.”  Generally speaking, contractors and subcontractors on government contracts must promise to pay employees whatever a similar employee would make in the community.

Fraud occurs under the Davis-Bacon Act when a contractor submits invoices to the federal government indicating that he or she has paid Davis-Bacon Act compliant wages to his or her employees, but then actually pays the employees less than he states.  This is an attractive scam to employers, as they keep the difference between the claimed rate of pay and the amount they actually pay.  While you may think that employees would immediately notice the difference, that is not always in the case.  That is because the employer may still be paying the employees an adequate pay rate, resulting in suspicion not being aroused. Additionally, employees rarely have access to or a sufficient understanding of government contracts to be aware that they are being paid less than is due them.

Davis-Bacon Act fraud cases are often discovered by contractors’ administrative personnel, such as secretaries, comptrollers, and accountants.  These office workers have access to information that demonstrates the gap between what the contractor claimed to be paying employees and what he or she is actually paying them.  That gap is a fraud against the federal government and is ripe for a whistleblower case brought under the False Claims Act.

The Davis-Bacon Act applies to all contracts with the federal government over $2500, but these construction and service contracts are often in the millions and even billions of dollar range.

What Should You Do if You are Considering Making a Whistleblower Claim?

Are you considering filing a whistleblower case? If you are an employee of a federal contractor that is claiming to pay Davis-Bacon wages and is in actuality not, you are aware of fraud against the federal government.  The reward for submitting a successful claim can be 15% to 30% of any recovery, which often ranges into the millions million dollars for government construction contracts.  You will only receive this sort of award with the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney. The U.S. Department of Justice gets thousands of potential whistleblower claims each year, and only those that meet their requirements and are reported in a way that triggers their interest are acted upon.  Careful pleading and an organized approach to gathering evidence are critical to this process and will require the help of an experienced whistleblower counsel. Contact Barrett Law now at (601) 790-1505.

Experienced whistleblower lawyer Barrett can provide you with the advice you will need to file a successful whistleblower case. Having expert legal advice by your side can mean the difference between receiving your share of a whistleblower reward and losing your career and livelihood. Call our Mississippi Whistleblower Lawyer today!

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Experienced Mississippi Whistleblower Lawyer Discusses Medicare False Claims Act Cases

If you want to look for fraud, remember the adage, “follow the money.”  If you follow the money in the United States and Mississippi, it will lead you to the health care industry.  Federal programs like Medicare fund much of our current health care system, so any fraud occurring within that industry is a fraud against the federal government. The False Claims Act, signed into law by Abraham Lincoln to prevent fraud against the Union during the Civil War, is a federal law that allows those who report fraud against the federal government to become a “whistleblower” and collect 15% to 30% of whatever funds the government recovers as a result of the resulting prosecution.

If you are aware of fraud relating to the health field or Medicare specifically, you will need the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney to help you draft your complaint and file it with the U.S. Department of Justice.  They only prosecute the strongest whistleblower cases under the False Claims Act and other federal whistleblower laws. In this blog post, I will cover common aspects of False Claims Act Medicare cases.

Are you considering becoming a whistleblower? You will need the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney to help you answer questions about taping as well as many others.  Contact Barrett Law now at (601) 790-1505 to attain the advice you need.

Common Types of Medicare Fraud

Medicare fraud has exploded in frequency over the past decades.  The most common types of fraud fall into the following categories:

False Billing—in this scam, the medical provider bills Medicare for services that were not provided.  This can be difficult to detect as if the patient is not paying for the service, he or she is unlikely to notice or raise the alarm about one more charge on their bill. These phantom charges add up when the practice is repeated over thousands of patients, costing the federal government millions of dollars each year.

Providing Unnecessary Services—in this scam, the medical provider does provide treatment to the patient, but the procedure is not necessary.  Here, the patient believes that the additional test or treatment is required for their condition, and Medicare pays the bill thinking that the treatment was a bona fide necessity.

Upcoding—in this scam, the medical provider provides a necessary service but charges Medicare for a more expensive version of the treatment than is required by the patient’s needs.

Unnecessary Prescriptions—in this scam, the medical provider prescribes unneeded medications to the patient.  While the medications may not have an adverse effect, the medical provider is reimbursed for them.

You may be aware of this conduct as a medical provider, an employee of a medical provider, or patient. Regardless of your relationship to this conduct, you can become a whistleblower and receive a reward for notifying the federal government of the fraud.

What Should You Do if You are Considering Making a Whistleblower Claim?

Are you aware of the sort of fraudulent conduct described above? Are you considering filing a Medicare-related whistleblower case? The reward for submitting a successful claim can be significant, here half a million dollars, but you will only receive this sort of award with the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney. The U.S. Department of Justice gets thousands of potential whistleblower claims each year, and only those that meet their requirements and are reported in a way that triggers their interest are acted upon.  Careful pleading and an organized approach to gathering evidence are critical to this process and will require the help of an experienced whistleblower counsel. Contact Barrett Law now at (601) 790-1505.

Experienced whistleblower lawyer Barrett can provide you with the advice you will need to file a successful whistleblower case. Having expert legal advice by your side can mean the difference between receiving your share of a whistleblower reward and losing your career and livelihood. Call our Mississippi Whistleblower Lawyer now!

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Whistleblower Lawyer Discusses Aspects of a Strong False Claims Act Claim

As I have explained in other posts, the information that a whistleblower provides regarded alleged fraud must be written compellingly.  The U.S. Department of Justice receives thousands of complaints each year and only prosecutes the most substantial whistleblower cases under the False Claims Act and other federal whistleblower laws. Given the vast number of complaints, they often discard claims that are drafted poorly, fail to contain important information, or are unclear. Many potential whistleblowers here in Mississippi ask me what needs to go into a successful complaint. Because this question comes up so often, I have written the following blog post as an overview.

Are you considering becoming a whistleblower? You will need the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney to help you answer questions about drafting a complaint, gathering evidence, and maintaining your professional position while the case progresses. Contact Barrett Law now at (601) 790-1505 to attain the advice you need.

Essential Elements to Consider When You File a Successful Whistleblower Claim

First, you need to be sure that the conduct you are reporting to the federal government is, in fact, fraud.  The following acts are common types of fraud committed against the federal government: Filing bills for work that was not performed; Submitting bills for work that was performed, but performed below contractual standards; Paying kickbacks to government officials in order to attain federal contracts; Engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the federal government of funds. Merely making an allegation of this sort of fraud is rarely sufficient. Instead, with the help of a whistleblower attorney, you will have to gather and present evidence of the fraud in question, such as emails, texts, receipts, and internal memoranda.  All of this can be a fraught process, as you do not want to notify your employer or colleagues that you are considering alerting federal authorities regarding your fraud.

Second, you must be the “first to file.”  If you are aware of widespread fraud, others likely are as well.  If they report the fraud before you do, you will receive no reward. As a result, you and your whistleblower attorney must engage in a careful balancing of considerations.  On the one hand, you want to gather sufficient evidence to prove to the U.S. Department of Justice that fraud is occurring. On the other hand, if your efforts to present a perfect case result in someone else reporting the fraud before you, you will receive nothing.  Accordingly, knowing when to file is a tricky analysis requiring a skilled whistleblower attorney’s assistance.

Third, you need to be sure that what you are reporting is, in fact, fraud and not just bad management or waste. Potential whistleblowers often misidentify internal disputes or poorly run operations as fraud. While these companies might not be run well, their activities will not trigger the U.S. Department of Justice’s interest.

What Should You Do if You are Considering Making a Whistleblower Claim?

Are you considering filing a whistleblower case? As I indicated, the reward for submitting a successful claim can be significant, but you will only receive this sort of award with the help of an experienced whistleblower attorney. Careful pleading and an organized approach to gathering evidence are critical to this process and will require the assistance of an experienced whistleblower counsel. Contact Barrett Law now at (601) 790-1505.

Experienced whistleblower lawyer Barrett can provide you with the advice you will need to file a successful whistleblower case. Having expert legal advice by your side can mean the difference between receiving your share of a whistleblower reward and losing your career and livelihood. Call our seasoned Mississippi Whistleblower Lawyer today.

 

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Experienced Mississippi BP Oil Spill Attorney Discusses the Spill’s Effect on Oystermen and Shrimpers

The Gulf region is famous for its seafood, and there are no better oysters or shrimp in the world. These sensitive animals live on the seafloor in the Gulf, an area that was hit particularly hard by the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the Spill cleanup, and the subsequent industrial activity on the beach during the response and cleanup effort.  Even more tragically, the tidal areas where these animals live bore the brunt of the oil spill and dispersants, and the long-term effects of these chemicals is still yet to be determined.

Do you lose your business, livelihood, or develop a health condition as a result of your contact with the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill? Did you rent or lease your oyster or shrimp boat out as part of the cleanup effort?  Did you or your family participate in the cleanup effort or come into contact with dispersants? If the answer to any of those questions is “yes,” you are likely suffering from chronic health conditions as a result. You may be entitled to a portion of settlement funds from the BP Deepwater Horizon settlement.  You need to contact experienced counsel to help you attain your fair share of compensation. Barrett Law has expertise in BP Oil Spill litigation and has the experience to help you through this process.  Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.

Shrimpers and Oystermen Have Borne the Brunt of the BP Oil Spill

Folks from Mississippi who make their living harvesting shrimp and oysters from the Gulf know that the BP Oil Spill made an already difficult job much tougher.  The shrimp are now displaying strange abnormalities that negatively affect their marketability, such as lacking eyes and other odd deformities.  Similarly, oyster beds affected by the Spill and the cleanup have not recovered to their pre-Spill vibrancy, likely due to settling oil and the slurry of dispersants that were sprayed on the area.  Both of these Spill-related issues have already resulted in significant economic damages for those who make their living from harvesting and selling seafood.  On top of that, the Spill created a stigma around Gulf seafood, with many consumers believing that it is not safe to consume.  Compounding these business-related issues is the fact that many of shrimpers and oystermen worked on the cleanup effort and now are experiencing a host of Spill-related symptoms such as memory loss and fatigue, painful recurring rashes, breathing issues and asthma, headaches and migraines, and other chronic breathing and digestive problems.

What Should You Do If You Were Injured or Harmed By the 2010 BP Oil Spill?

If you are a shrimper or oysterman that lost his or her livelihood or health as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, you deserve compensation for harms you have suffered.  You deserve compensation for loss of shrimp and oyster habitat, market share, and income. If you were injured or developed a health condition as a result of the Spill or its cleanup, you are due compensation for your medical costs, loss of work, and ongoing pain and suffering. You may have heard that it is too late to file a claim or that there is no longer a way to attain compensation for your damages. You may also be able to submit a new application if your earlier attempts were unsuccessful. Don’t let rumors and misleading information get in the way of attaining compensation—the exclusive way to fully understand your options is to hire an attorney with extensive experience in getting BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill claims paid.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi BP Oil Spill law firm, to represent you if you were harmed as a result of the Spill. Barrett Law has the experience to take on defense attorneys that are focused on denying your compensation for the harm you experienced.  Contact our seasoned Mississippi BP Oil Spill Attorney now at (601) 790-1505.

 

 

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