5 Ways to Protect your Virginia Workers’ Comp Claim from Private Investigators

VA workplace injury attorneys often warn employees that when they file a Virginia Workers’ Comp claim, insurance companies may hire a private investigator (PI) to try to find damaging evidence.

Even when your injuries and motives are completely legitimate, if you don’t know the Workers’ Comp laws or don’t have a workplace injury attorney to counsel you on how to handle matters, a PI could use photos or videos of you to damage your claim.

PIs will try record you performing activities that negate your Virginia Workers’ Comp doctor’s orders. For example, they could snap a picture of you going for a stroll at Byrd Park or videotape you mowing your lawn and use that to disprove your injuries.

There are a few things you can do to protect your claim when the insurance company has put a PI on the case: 

• Stay Knowledgeable – talk to a workplace injury attorney and learn about your rights and pertinent Workers’ Comp laws; it’s the only way to know if insurance companies are bending the rules when it comes to how they use PIs;
• Be Truthful – don’t exaggerate your injuries to your doctor; if the PIs video of you doesn’t match your injuries, your claim could be discredited;
• Be Mindful – always assume you’re being tracked and make sure you’re mindful of your actions in public;
• Update Your Doctor – when you perform physical activities, make sure to inform your doctor of it and how it affected your pain; that way, there’ll be a paper trail, and your actions will be accounted for; and
• Keep Calm – if you realize you’re under surveillance, keep calm and don’t make a scene. Just act as you normally would, neither minimizing nor exaggerating your injuries.

If you need to file a Virginia Workers’ Comp claim, consult workplace injury attorneys before moving forward.  They’ll be invaluable when it comes to dealing with insurance adjusters.

Contact a Virginia Workplace Injury Attorney 

When you have difficulties with your work-related injury claim, a Virginia workplace injury attorney can bear some of the burden you’ve been placed under. To get back on your feet, whether it means getting back to work or getting the benefits you deserve, order a copy of our free book, the Ultimate Guide to Workers’ Compensation in Virginia, and contact a workers’ comp attorney at the Injured Workers Law Firm for a no-cost consultation – 1-877-755-7744 or 1-804-755-7755.