Honeywell’s Damages Success May Be Hard for Others to Repeat

Honeywell International Inc.'s recent appeals court win—where it evaded damages in the US government’s 12-year body armor fraud suit—may provide a roadmap for other False Claims Act defendants, but the road could be one that is less traveled.

Honeywell this week won a federal appeals court ruling allowing it to offset the $35 million in trebled damages sought by the US, with the $36 million other defendants had already paid in settlements, under the dollar-for-dollar offset approach known as pro tanto.

Justice Department lawyers had warned the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to no avail ...