Yearly Archives: 2014

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration oversees certain whistleblower programs.  There are twenty two whistleblower statutes covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  Whistleblowers are now able to file complaints online.  This provides another way for whistleblowers that have been retaliated against […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER On February 15, 2014 a 74 year-old dementia patient went missing from an assisted living facility in California.  Police asked for the help of the public in locating the man.  Approximately one week later the body of the man was discovered.  Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for patients […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER A major federal contractor has been accused of forcing employees to sign confidentiality statements that violate the False Claims Act.  The whistleblower lawsuit was filed recently against Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root.  The complaint was filed with the Justice Department and the Securities and […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Caregivers for the elderly are sometimes abusive.  Doctors who work for Adult Protective Services have seen many cases of abuse and neglect.  According to the 1985 Elder Abuse Prevention, Identification and Treatment Act, abuse is defined as “willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation or cruel punishment with […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER A Pharmaceutical company has agreed to pay the federal government over $171 million to settle a False Claims Act case.  Endo Pharmaceutical is a subsidiary of Endo Health Solutions, Inc.   A whistleblower lawsuit accused Endo Pharmaceuticals of off label marketing of the Lidoderm pain patch.  It was alleged […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER There were legislative hearings recently regarding assisted living concerns in California.  Lawmakers were told that complaints to the Department of Public Health and Social Services about assisted living facilities are being closed without proper investigation.  Advocates claimed that penalties against violators are weak and take a long time […]

Consumer fraud that targets Americans aged 65 and older is a problem that gets bigger and more elaborate every year, and 2014 appears to be no different. Each year, fake corporations, false advertisements, and fraudsters bilk older Californians out of billions of dollars. All types of consumer fraud aimed at […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER A recent federal whistleblower case has been settled for $6.5 million.  Vector Planning and Services Inc. is an information technology, program management, and consulting firm that does business with the government.  The company was accused of inflating claims for payment under Navy contracts.  The allegations were made in […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER This is the time of year that people think about their relationships with their partners and family members.  Unfortunately, sometimes abuse is part of the family dynamic.  The cycle of violence is hurtful and hard to break.  Problems can occur when a child that was abused becomes the […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER San Francisco landlords have been charged with elder abuse for evicting tenants according to the Ellis Act.  Community activists gathered at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco to complain about Ellis Act evictions, claiming that the evictions constitute elder abuse when the person being evicted is over […]