After Jury Trial, $2.6 Million Judgment for Doctor Fired for Notifying Medicare of Employer’s Fraud

In the midst of a rising tide of cases alleging fraud, a jury in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Eastern Division (Riverside), rendered a verdict in favor of a doctor who was fired for refusing to participate in a fraudulent scheme to submit false claims to Medicare for the payment of cosmetic, medically unnecessary services, and for notifying Medicare of the fraud in order to protect her own medical license. The doctor sued her employer for submitting false claims to the United States government, for unlawfully retaliating against the doctor, and for breach of contract, claiming, among other things, she was punished for protecting her own medical license by distancing herself from the fraud. The jury awarded the doctor damages, resulting in a total judgment in favor of the doctor of $2.6 million. "The jury really sympathized with the employee and wanted to send a message to the clinic," William Buus, lead trial attorney, noted. "In actuality, the jury's message was intended to resonate with all employers who wish to punish employees who won't put their livelihoods on the line by going along with fraudulent activity."