The Top 10 Whistleblower Action Settlements of 2012

More than 130 False Claims Acts, totaling more than nine billion dollars, were settled in fiscal year 2012.

1. GlaxoSmithKline illegally marketed nine popular prescription drugs for off-label uses. They were accused of illegal off-label marketing despite known adverse side-effects and physician kickbacks. The case settled for $3,000,000,000, including both civil and criminal penalties.
2. Abbott Laboratories was accused of marketing the seizure medication Depakote for off-label uses including treatment of behavioral disturbances in dementia patients and treatment of schizophrenia. The case settled for $ 1,500,000,000, including both civil and criminal penalties.
3. Bank of America made news this year when it was accused of mortgage and bank fraud.  Countrywide, a unit of Bank of America, encouraged employees to make loans to unqualified borrowers. The bank then sold thousands of fraudulent and defective mortgage loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The lawsuit settled for one billion dollars. The home appraiser that initiated the whistleblower lawsuit will receive $14.5 million dollars.
4. Merck was fined $950,000,000 for illegal marketing of Vioxx for rheumatoid arthritis. At the time, Vioxx was approved only for osteoarthritis, pain, and dysmenorrhoea. Vioxx has since been withdrawn from the market over cardiovascular safety concerns.
5. Senior Care Action Network was found guilty of fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid billing and was ordered to repay $323 million to the federal and state governments.
6. Actavis was ordered to pay $202,600,000 for reporting inflated wholesale prices of generic drugs in order to collect  higher reimbursement rates from Medicare.
7. Deutsche Bank was fined $202,300,000 for falsely certifying HUD and FHA loans. As a result, thousands of people defaulted on their mortgages.
8. The world’s second largest software manufacturer, Oracle, was fined $199,500,000 for falsely promising the government’s General Services Agency the same discount pricing that the company offers to preferred commercial customers.
9. McKesson was ordered to pay $190,000,000 for reporting inflated wholesale prices of generic drugs in order to collect higher reimbursement rates from Medicare.
10. Citigroup paid $158,000,000 for failing to comply with HUD-FHA regulations when certifying home loans.

Whistleblowers are everyday people who spoke up when they saw illegal or unethical activity. If you are concerned about illegal activity at your workplace, contact the Tennessee whistleblower action attorneys at Bailey & Greer at 901-680-9777.

Thomas Greer

Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements

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