Is there some dollar amount that a case has to satisfy to bring a False Claims Act case?
Officially, no. Actually, yes, for all practical purposes. The False Claims Act allows for federal courts to take on cases under the False Claims Act without regard to the amount of money at stake. As a practical matter, however, the case will require the time and attention of competent counsel and will likely last for years. Thus, most litigants and their lawyers will not intentionally want to spend substantial time and money on a case involving only a few thousand dollars. The Department of Justice normally will not “intervene” or prosecute qui tam cases involving less than $ 1 million dollars in loss to the Treasury. So, as a practical matter, most False Claims Act qui tam cases will involve at least $ 1 million in actual damages and statutory penalties, which are accrued at the rate of $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 per false claim.
