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Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:438.7

  • Allegation: something that someone says happened.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Department: means the Louisiana Department of Health. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:437.3
  • Recovery: means the recovery of overpayments, damages, fines, penalties, costs, expenses, restitution, attorney fees, or interest or settlement amounts. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:437.3
  • Secretary: means the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, or his authorized designee. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:437.3
  • Secretary or attorney general: means that either party is authorized to institute a proceeding or take other authorized action as provided in this Part pursuant to a memorandum of understanding between the two so as to notify the public as to whether the secretary or the attorney general is the deciding or controlling party in the proceeding or other authorized matter. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 46:437.3

If requested by the secretary or the attorney general, the court may reduce to not less than twice the actual damages or any recovery required to be imposed under the provisions of this Subpart if all of the following extenuating circumstances are found to be applicable:

(1)  The violator furnished all the information known to him about the specific allegation to the secretary or attorney general no later than thirty days after the violator first obtained the information.

(2)  The violator cooperated fully with all federal or state investigations concerning the specific allegation.

(3)  At the time the violator furnished the information concerning the specific allegation to the department or the attorney general, no criminal, civil, or departmental investigation or proceeding had been commenced as to the alleged violation.

Acts 1997, No. 1373, §1; Acts 2011, No. 185, §1.