Insurance companies are businesses. Minimizing money paid to injured victims is what the Insurance company wants. The most common ways that insurance companies limit payout is denying or delaying claims, and paying the least compensation possible.
In order to help minimize the claims, insurance carriers often rely on private investigators to investigate claims. Thus, If you have a claim, there is a possibility that they may hired a private investigator to investigate you.
The Role of a Private Investigator
Private investigators may follow a person while remaining undetected. They may also review a person’s background, including details about criminal history and finances. Sometimes, private investigators discover details about an accident and background that validate the victim’s claim. Other times, a private investigator may discover facts that can minimize the value of a claim.
While hiring a private investigator may sound sneaky, it is not illegal to do so. In fact, many attorneys who represent injured people also hire private investigators. If your claim is for considerable compensation, an insurance carrier will likely use a private investigator. They will find a way to reduce the amount of the claim.
This means that if you have an accident, an insurance carrier may have a private investigator to look into you.
Protect Your Claim
Truth is supreme in our legal system. An injured person should always be honest about an accident and their injuries.
Many insurance companies, investigators, and defense attorneys are very capable of determining when someone is not being honest or exaggerating their injuries. So it is always best to simply be honest. It is also best to follow the advice of medical professionals who are providing treatment. It is unlikely to reduce a claim if you followed these steps.
Do Not Exaggerate Your Claim
Whenever filling out forms about your case, it is important to provide accurate and honest information. You should avoid overstating the facts of an accident (for example, don’t claim that another driver was driving 45 mph if they had been stopped and then rear ended you after the light turned red) or exaggerating the extent of your injuries. Also, remember that an insurance company will note any inconsistencies in your story, which can also be damaging to a claim.
Listen to Your Medical Provider
Private investigators will likely take pictures or video footage of their surveillance of an injured person, and they will likely focus on any “good days” (days in which a person with back pain, for example, isn’t experiencing much pain), and they can use that footage in an attempt to harm a person’s credibility. To avoid such a complication, you should make sure to follow your medical provider’s restrictions as closely as possible. Ignoring your medical provider’s recommendations can result in additional consequences, as well, which might include aggravation of injuries caused by your accident.
Restrict Your Social Media Usage
Insurance carriers are increasingly relying on data that can be obtained through electronic surveillance. Monitoring a person online behavior is inexpensive, and it can also provide a substantial amount of information. This does not mean, however, that you should delete all of your social media accounts, and in fact doing so can lead to other problems, such as spoliation or destruction of evidence. We generally advise against using social media for any purpose while a claim is pending. In addition, all accounts should be restricted to private (this is a good idea whether you have a pending claim or not). Similarly, you should ask your friends and family members to be cautious about what they post about you, your health, and your activities. Of course, you should refrain from posting anything online relating to your accident or resulting injuries.
Contact an Experienced Accident Attorney
It is common to feel uncertain about how to proceed after a car accident, especially when it comes to dealing with insurance companies. Inadvertent errors can prevent you from obtaining the compensation that you deserve, which is why you need the assistance of a skilled attorney. Contact House Law LLC today to schedule a free case evaluation.
Tags: auto insurance, insurance, personal injury
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