Spokane Whistleblower Attorneys

Spokane Whistle Blower Attorneys

Taking a stand for what’s right is a noble thing; most of us grew up hearing this from our parents, guardians, and teachers. So how come whistleblowers are often the targets of workplace hostility?

If you’re reading this, you may have been punished for standing up against corruption or wrongdoing in the workplace. You may have been harassed, had your hours cut, or been wrongfully terminated. You’re probably financially and emotionally stressed out looking for someone to help you with a whistleblower claim.

We are here for you. Our firm offers free legal advice. Call our Spokane whistleblower attorneys today.

Don’t hesitate because you’re concerned you’ll need cash up front to ask an attorney your questions. Just call as soon as you’re able and schedule your free legal consultation.

How Can a Spokane Whistleblower Attorney Help Me?

When you hire an experienced whistleblower attorney, you have someone in your corner to support and guide you through your claim. Whistleblower claims can be complicated and intimidating, especially since you may be faced with having to continue working through the duration of your claim to continue to have an income.

Your whistleblower attorney can put a stop to harassment while you get back to work. Your attorney can also protect your reputation while you look for another job and communicate with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on your behalf to protect your rights.

Mistakes to Avoid in Your Whistleblower Case

Below are some ways to protect yourself during your whistleblower case. Keep in mind that every case has its own unique challenges and hiring an attorney with experience in this area is the best way to get through it to the best possible outcome.

Don’t Turn to Family and Friends for Legal Advice

It’s understandable to share with a close friend or family member about what you’re going through, but don’t look to them for legal advice. Whistleblower cases are complicated. Evidence will be required to successfully make the case. Filing a whistleblower case must be done strategically. Your attorney is the person who should advise you on gathering information to support your claim.

Don’t Go It Alone

Refusing to hire an attorney can put your case at risk. It’s important to take advantage of all the protections whistleblower status affords you. Our Spokane whistleblower attorneys know how to protect your rights and put a stop to harassment. They also know how to investigate and gather evidence to build you a strong claim.

There are all kinds of whistleblower categories, including, but not limited to:

• Tax fraud
• Mortgage fraud
• Defense contractor fraud
• Pharmaceutical fraud
• Oil and gas fraud
• Government procurement fraud

Different types of whistleblower cases require different reporting and handling methods for success. Our Spokane whistleblower attorneys have the skill and experience to guide you.

Hire the Right Attorney

Just as with choosing a surgeon, it’s important to select your lawyer with your needs in mind. All whistleblower attorneys are lawyers, but not all lawyers are whistleblower attorneys. The fact that your best friend’s estate attorney is amazing doesn’t mean she’ll be the right person to help you with a whistleblower case. Make sure you seek out someone who’s successfully resolved whistleblower cases.

Spokane Whistleblower Client Story

Early on a chilly Saturday morning in March not very long ago, Bob Urban was snuggled under the covers with the sound machine playing rain noises. It was still dark, and he had no intention of waking up so early, especially on a Saturday.

He rolled over, reaching out to put an arm around his wife as she slept beside him. That’s when he realized something was off. Beside him where his wife should be, he felt fur. Confused, he patted it and heard the swish of Memphis’s tail right before a cold, wet nose bumped the back of his hand. He pulled away and wiped it on the comforter.

Whine.

“Memphis?”

Whiiiiiiine.

“You’re not supposed to be on the bed. Git. Go on your bed,” Bob insisted, trying to shoo the big hound back to his own space. It had taken them weeks to get the dog to comply. He hoped they weren’t back to square one.

“Where is your mother?” He asked, fighting to stay at least half asleep and wondering where his wife Michelle had gone so early in the morning. The only answer he got was a warm, sloppy lick on the cheek.

“Ugh!” Now he was awake. Tossing off the covers, Bob stumbled into the hallway and downstairs in search of his wife. When he got to the bottom, a faint glow from the kitchen told him where Michelle had gone.

He stopped in the doorway to find her reading her Kindle in front of a cup of tea.

“Everything okay, Honey?”

Bob’s wife smiled at him over her reading glasses. “Couldn’t sleep,” she said, though her eyes looked very tired.

“Anything you want to talk about?” He asked, digging the coffee grinder out from the lazy suzan in the corner cabinet.

Her sigh told him she did. But she took several moments to gather her thoughts before speaking. He waited, using the time to get the grinding out of the way. When the machine began its slow drip, he pulled up a chair beside her and gave her his full attention.

“It’s work. I noticed some irregularities in the billing. They were ‘regularities’ — far too many identical charges to be believable, and that’s what stood out.” Michelle worked at a Spokane healthcare provider in the medical billing department.

“You see, I noticed that all the patients of two of our doctors have been sent to the lab for tests after their exams,” said Michelle, folding and unfolding a paper napkin on the placemat as she spoke.

“Isn’t that normal for a doctor’s office?” Bob asked, even though he knew if what Michelle saw was normal, she wouldn’t have lost sleep over it.

“All the patients for these two doctors had urine tests. And all the females’ tests specifically included pregnancy tests in addition to the other urine tests.”

“And you think something’s going on?” Bob asked.

“Mrs. Willets was one of the patients,” Michelle said, hitching her eyebrows.

“Across the street Mrs. Willets?” Bob asked as the reality of what Michelle may have stumbled onto dawned on him. “She’s gotta be what, seventy-six?”

“She’s eighty,” said Michelle. “Her daughter threw her a birthday party last month. I brought her flowers.”

Huh. So, what now?” Bob asked.

“Well, I was just assigned to those two doctors’ accounts last month. I handled the accounts for the other three before that. I ran a search for urine and pregnancy tests over the last six months by doctor, to see what it showed. It confirmed that this testing goes back at least that far.

Before that, I’d have to look, but compared to the other three doctors I used to bill for, it’s odd. I think the others each averaged 3 pregnancy tests, max per month. And urinalysis was only slightly higher.

Did you speak to anyone about it?” Bob asked. He couldn’t think of any good reason that many patients happened to have had the same test, or that an eighty-year-old would need a pregnancy test.

“I asked Amy. She got snippy,” Michelle said, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation she’d had with her supervisor. “She told me I’m paid to bill not to weigh in on the doctors’ medical decisions.”

“She’s always been snippy to you though,” Bob pointed out. “I think she’s threatened by you.”

“That makes no sense at all to me. And it was a good question! Maybe she’s just looking for credit for noticing the issue,” Michelle said. “I don’t care, really, I just couldn’t move on without asking; it was too weird.”

“You are a smart, capable person, Michelle. Don’t worry about mean old Amy,” said Bob. He kissed his wife’s cheek and she smiled. “How ‘bout waffles?”

Do I have a whistleblower case?

Michelle and Bob went to the Spokane law offices of Paukert and Troppman three weeks later when they arrived for a free legal consultation with Whistleblower Attorney Andrea L. Asan.

Michelle explained her discovery of the oddly uniform testing across two doctors’ accounts at the office.

“I’m guessing you’re here because things got worse since you asked your supervisor about the anomaly?” Attorney Asan asked.

“Yes,” said Michelle. “I arrived at work on Monday to find my chair missing.

“Missing? They took your chair?” Attorney Asan asked, incredulous.

Michelle smiled ruefully. “It felt like they were picking on me for sure, but I couldn’t prove it. You see, I have a lower back issue, and that is my chair — my personal chair. It was given to me when I transferred out of the transcription department. Everybody pitched in and they ordered me this great chair with lumbar support.

“So, I went in and there’s Fran, sitting in my chair. I told her so and she waved me off. She said the night cleaning crew must have come in and put it back at her station, but it’s all company furniture so I needn’t be a prima donna. That is, until I let her know the base is engraved with a little message from the transcription team,” Michelle smiled.

“Oops,” said Asa, laughing as Bob nodded.

“So, she returned the chair in a huff. And to this day Fran and Amy continue to call me ‘Donna.’

And then the coffee mug incident happened,” said Michelle. “I arrived one day, and Fran, Amy, and Jean were digging around for Amy’s coffee mug. It had apparently disappeared.

“So, I joined in the search. You know, it’s a small room, with cubicles. There’s no reason for a personal mug to be in another cubicle, really. I suggested maybe the cleaning crew put it in the break room sink. Then Jean said, “I found it!” And where is she but standing in my cubicle with my file drawer open.

And Amy’s mug is there. And they’re all giving me the hairy eyeball. And I’m just as surprised as everyone else. Until, that is, I see Fran’s face. She tried, but she couldn’t keep it straight. And I knew.”

“They’d set you up,” said Attorney Asan.

“They did. Now, it may seem like just a mug, but Amy said she was going to have to write me up for it.

Attorney Asan whistled. “So, you’ve noticed what appears to be a blatant case of ‘weird billing,’ to say the least, your supervisor didn’t want to hear it, and now you’re being harassed. Do you know where the tests were being done, by chance?”

“Yes, they were all done at the same lab, it’s also owned by the parent company of the hospital.”

“I’m shocked,” Attorney Asan said in mock disbelief. “I wouldn’t be surprised if an investigation turned up kickbacks from the lab to the doctor’s offices,” said Attorney Asan. “I’d say at this point it looks like you’ve got a whistleblower case on your hands.”

Keep Records

Attorney Asan then asked hopefully, “Do you happen to have any copies of these anomalies?”

“So far I only have my notes,” said Michelle. “I was afraid of violating HIPAA laws by taking photos or making copies.”

“Understandable for sure,” said Attorney Asan. “Fortunately, there is an exception that allows a whistleblower to disclose patient information if they believe in good faith the physician, hospital or medical entity involved has broken the law or violated clinical standards.”

Michelle paled. “I really don’t want to deal with all of this,” she said nervously. “But I just couldn’t pretend it wasn’t suspicious. If we move forward, can you guide me to additional evidence that may be helpful and the best way to provide it, if I’m able? I want to make sure I don’t get caught before I can give you information you may need to prove wrongdoing. Then I’d be out of a job without any proof.”

“Yes, we can give you guidance on that,” said Attorney Asan.

“In the meantime, here are my notes on what I’ve discovered thus far,” said Michelle, handing over a small notebook.

Attorney Asan flipped through it, nodding. “Very good, you’ve got dates, times, and details. This is excellent.”

What if my employer retaliates?

“What if they find out what I’m doing and make things even worse?” Michelle asked, nervously.

“The beauty of retaining an experienced whistleblower attorney is our ability to put a stop to harassment. We’ll also fight to protect your professional reputation, should you choose to look for a better place to work,” Attorney Asan said.

“Retaining an attorney will help you to continue working at your present job until you decide to move on. They are not permitted to bother you,” said Asan. “that said, expect it to be tense; your coworkers are not the most mature bunch. But you’ll have the comfort of knowing we are in your corner working toward a resolution while you’re at your desk. And of course, we’d ask you to contact us immediately if you experience more harassment going forward.”

What if they fire me?

“But what if they just fire me? I’m fifty-nine, it’s not likely to be easy for me to find something else at the same pay grade, and if I did, I’d need references.”

“While I could see your supervisor being foolish enough to behave impulsively,” Attorney Asan said, “even she’d have to be extremely stupid to fire you without case. For one thing, you’re in more than one protected class, being a female over the age of forty. For another, when you open a whistleblower case with an attorney to assist you, you’ll be protected from any further unfounded reprimands,” said Attorney Asan.

“It’s extremely helpful that you’ve kept notes about the billing anomalies and the harassment you’ve endured since asking about them. You don’t happen to have any statements from other coworkers to corroborate your experiences?” Attorney Asan asked.

“I heard the front desk receptionists talking in the lunchroom one day. They referred to the billing department as the ‘mean girls.’ I hope they didn’t lump me in with the others,” said Michelle. And Jean transferred out two days ago. She didn’t tell me why, but she apparently asked to be moved to the reception desk a month ago. When she left, I wished her well and she looked sad and just said, ‘Good luck.’”

“Who knows, she may be a source of information to support your case in the near future,” said Attorney Asan. In the meantime, if you retain our firm, we’ll notify the EEOC about what’s going on. Even if your supervisor is clueless enough to think she can harass you with impunity, we will make sure her supervisor understands that a wrongful termination at this point will be very problematic.

“If anyone at the facility makes the mistake of wrongfully terminating your employment, be assured we’ll be there to protect your rights and get you the compensation you are due.

“The bottom line is, Michelle, I strongly recommend you retain an experienced whistleblower attorney to guide you through this, whether it’s our firm or another. Please do not try to walk this path alone. You don’t have to, and you deserve much better treatment than what you’ve received thus far. We’d like to help protect you in your effort to do the right thing.”

Michelle and Bob were satisfied with the answers they received in their free legal consultation. Michelle retained Paukert & Troppmann and Attorney Asan successfully stopped the harassment. A whistleblower investigation was opened, and Michelle was awarded economic and non-economic damages for the treatment she’d received. She was also provided with excellent references from human resources. She left the company and has been thriving in a healthy work culture ever since.

Call Our Spokane Whistleblower Attorneys Today

We hope you’ve gained a better understanding of what to expect in your whistleblower case through the information on this page. Since no two cases are the same, please contact us to schedule a free legal consultation for guidance about your situation. You shouldn’t have to dread going to work and accept treatment no one should have to put up with. Call and let us stand up for your rights today.