The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (NHTSA) is a collection of federal laws aimed at increasing safety on America’s roads. To back this goal, the law authorizes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate and punish violations of traffic safety laws. These investigations generally target automakers that have failed to comply with safety protocols concerning the construction of their vehicles.
Despite this admirable goal, the NHTSA often lacks the necessary time and resources to discover these violations on its own. Because of this, the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act authorizes the NHTSA to provide incentives for parties to come forward as whistleblowers with information concerning violations. If this information leads to a conviction, a whistleblower may receive a reward.
A South Carolina NHTSA whistleblower program lawyer could help you if you believe that you have witnessed a violation of NHTSA laws or regulations. They could take the lead in further investigating your observations, drafting reports to the NHTSA, and demanding proper rewards through a writ of Qui Tam.
The automotive industry represents both a major segment of the American economy as well as the mobility of almost every individual. As a result, Congress has taken aggressive steps to ensure that cars, trucks, and other vehicles on South Carolina’s roads are safe for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike.
One way that Congress has moved toward this goal is by implementing the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. This act sets the safety standards to which all vehicles on America’s roads must comply. It carries the power to regulate how manufacturers design and construct their vehicles. In addition, it authorizes the government to investigate and punish apparent violations of these laws. A South Carolina NHTSA whistleblower program attorney could provide more information about the NHTSA and its role in promoting safety on South Carolina’s roads.
The proper enforcement of NHTSA rules benefits all travelers and pedestrians. Society as a whole benefits from having safe vehicles on the road. Sadly, this concern is often not the most important consideration for the makers of vehicles. These companies may produce vehicles that improve their profits but do not satisfy the requirements for safety. To combat this behavior, Congress enacted the NHTSA whistleblower program.
Codified at 49 United States Code § 30172, this program both authorizes everyday citizens to report violations of NHTSA rule as well as the payment of rewards for this information. Coming forward with this information is the definition of being a whistleblower.
As much as whistleblowers benefit the government, performing this role can also bring advantages to the whistleblowers themselves. The Qui Tam program allows these people to demand rewards for their information. If this information leads to a conviction that recovers at least $1,000,000, the whistleblower may receive up to 30 percent of this recovery. However, this reward is only available to parties not actively involved in the illegal activity and who do not otherwise have a legal obligation to participate in the investigation. A South Carolina NHTSA whistleblower program lawyer could help parties to demand these rewards.
All people in South Carolina and around the nation rely on the regulatory power of the NHTSA to keep safe while on the road. This includes taking steps to ensure that vehicle manufacturers comply will all the relevant laws and rules.
The NHTSA relies on whistleblowers to learn about a substantial portion of illegal activity in their sector. Any private citizen may come forward at any time with information that they believe indicates a violation of the law. It is even possible to receive a substantial reward for this information. A South Carolina NHTSA whistleblower program lawyer could help by fully developing your complaint, submitting that complaint to the relevant agency, and demanding a reward through a writ of Qui Tam.
