Ninth Circuit Case Provides New Insight Into Government Action Bar

When is a new qui tam lawsuit derivative of a lawsuit in which the government has already intervened? The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit answered that question on December 1, 2017, when it decided United States ex rel. Bennett v. Biotronik, Inc. In doing so, the Ninth Circuit addressed the "government action bar" contained in 31 U.S.C. § 3730(e)(3), which states that a relator may not bring a qui tam suit "based upon allegations or transactions which are the subject of a civil suit . . . in which the Government is already a party."  31 U.S.C. § 3730(e)(3).

The Ninth Circuit in Bennett was faced with False Claims Act (FCA) claims predicated on facts that had already been the basis of a prior qui tam action against the defendant, Biotronik. The government had since settled and dismissed several (but not all) claims in the prior action. The district court dismissed the relator's complaint based upon the government action bar. In affirming the district court's