That Guy in the Bushes With the Video Camera? He's From your Employer's Insurance Company!

Top 5 insurance company moves when conducting surveillance on people claiming workers compensation benefits.

Recently there was a woman caught on the Price is Right while collecting workers compensation benefits. She did not look very disabled while jumping up and down with excitement.

This story has gotten much attention and caused outrage. It feeds into the false perception that everyone on workers compensation is just scamming the system.
Insurance companies are not innocent victims and go to extremes to show a claim is fraudulent. Here are five examples that we have personally witnessed.

1. We represented several clients who were losing their jobs after a plant closure. These individuals had been given restricted duties instead of being paid wage loss benefits. A surveillance van actually sat in our parking lot during a group consultation. Was this a legitimate activity check or just harassment?

2. Another client has been in a wheelchair since the 1980s due to a spinal cord injury. The only dispute was regarding current home modifications. The insurance company hired a private investigator to see if he would secretly get out of his wheelchair after 25+ years. This shows the depths of insurance company paranoia.

3. One client lost her arm in an industrial machine. An investigator showed up at the hospital within hours of amputation trying to get a sample for a drug test. Emergency care was still being administered and she was appropriately unavailable.

4. An insurance company lawyer made a big deal about surveillance video showing our client working on a vehicle in his garage. This was a concern because he was disabled from being an auto mechanic. Turns out the vehicle was a model car and our client was hunched over a workbench in pain.

5. A private investigator lied to a doctor’s office to obtain confidential medical information. This individual claimed to be our client’s relative and wanted to know about treatment including the next appointment date.

Carey & Associates never charges a fee to evaluate a case. We have represented injured and disabled workers exclusively for more than 45 years. Call (207) 364-7826 or message us for a free consultation.