Nov 3, 2020
Can Insurance Companies Follow Me After a Work Injury?
After you’re injured at work, it’s important to know what obstacles you may face when it comes to successfully obtaining your rightful benefits. Remember that insurance companies are for-profit businesses and will do everything in their power to protect themselves from paying out claims they don’t have to.
It’s not illegal, or even uncommon, for insurance companies to hire private investigators in an effort to prove that a worker is not as injured as they claim. While surveillance is sometimes warranted to uncover fraudulent workers’ comp claims, more often than not, it is a routine tactic used to avoid paying out even legitimate claims.
What Private Investigators Can and Cannot Do
In general, private investigators can’t do anything illegal when it comes to following you or gathering evidence against you. However, you can bet that they will go to any lengths to find anything that could contradict your workers’ comp claim. An investigator may legally be able to follow you around town as you:
- Run errands
- Attend doctor’s appointments
- Go out to dinner
- Exercise outdoors
- Mow your front lawn
Keeping Your Activities Consistent With Your Injuries
Knowing what to expect from the insurance company can help you take steps to prevent an investigator from jeopardizing your rights to workers’ comp benefits. Make sure that your public activities are consistent with your injuries and be careful not to put yourself in situations that could misrepresent you.
For example, if you are claiming injuries to your knee after a fall at work, but are photographed moving heavy boxes, loading heavy grocery bags into your car, or exercising, it may look as though you are perfectly capable of performing physical activities. Even if you think it’s okay to try something for a minute before you feel pain, you should always think about what a single photograph capturing you would show.
Protecting Your Rights to Benefits
Don’t forget that a seasoned workers’ compensation attorney is your best bet at receiving the benefits you need and deserve. Our dedicated legal team will work hard on your behalf to ensure that you avoid common missteps during the claims process so you can focus on healing.
Contact Hansford McDaniel LLC at (770) 741-2825 to speak with our Atlanta workers’ compensation attorneys for free today.
