National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Bolsters Its Whistleblower Program

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working on making it easier for whistleblowers to come forward with their claims.

A newly published website helps whistleblowers organize their claims and gather information before submitting what they have to the organization.

About the NHTSA whistleblower program

The NHTSA’s whistleblower program is primarily focused on vehicle safety issues, and violations of various vehicle-related laws. The program is part of the Vehicle Safety Act, which protects whistleblower confidentiality and allows the agency to pay monetary awards to whistleblowers who provide unique, timely information that leads to a successful enforcement action.

As with other types of whistleblower programs (such as those administered by the SEC and CFTC), whistleblowers can recover 10 to 30 percent of the total value of the enforcement action when sanctions exceed $1 million.

Whistleblowers in these cases may be employees or contractors with motor vehicle manufacturers, car dealerships, part suppliers or other individuals or entities working in this niche.

Those who submit whistleblower claims through the NHTSA program should include information relating to specific defects, noncompliance with federal safety standards, or specific violations of the Vehicle Safety Act. Those submitting claims should not include any information subject to attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine.

For more information about the NHTSA’s whistleblower program and the steps you must take to submit your information to the agency, contact a trusted whistleblower lawyer at Kardell Law Group.