Whistleblower lawsuits under the False Claims Act, also known as qui tam actions, have become more common in recent years. This is particularly so in heavily regulated industries and those in which the government routinely pays or reimburses costs, such as health care, pharmaceuticals, finance, construction and defense. Companies defending themselves against government investigations and FCA actions often have the insurance coverage they need — but frequently overlook it.

Our group recently authored an article in Business Insurance discussing insurance coverage for FCA investigations and actions. As discussed at greater length in the article, businesses facing whistleblower suits and government investigations often have coverage in standard policy types, including employment practices liability (EPL), errors and omissions (E&O), directors and officers (D&O), and commercial general liability (CGL) policies. For instance, EPL policies, which cover losses from claims stemming from wrongful employment practices, may respond to FCA claims because FCA suits frequently include a claim of retaliation by the whistleblowing employee. Where employment-related claims are also at issue and intertwined or interrelated with the FCA claims, courts have ruled that EPL insurers have a duty to defend the entire action.
Continue Reading Double-check existing policies for whistleblower coverage