Insurance companies are known to put under surveillance any claimants who appear to be faking their symptoms. Your Springfield wrongful death attorney will advise you to avoid behavior that attracts suspicion.
Insurance Surveillance
Your Springfield wrongful death attorney will warn you of the possibility that you might be the target of surveillance, also referred to as “sub rosa investigation,” by the insurance company.
Insurance claim personnel will consider placing you under surveillance if they perceive “red flags” in your behavior that seem to indicate fraud. The insurance adjusters may use wryly humorous expressions to identify these behaviors, but even one red flag is serious enough to increase your odds of being subjected to surveillance.
The following are examples of red flag behavior:
Nike Test
The claimant is seen picking up a compensation check attired in a Nike jogging suit (or any athletic apparel fit for physical activity). Adjusters will naturally wonder why an injured claimant is wearing workout gear.
Recidivist Test
The claimant has a history of hiring the same doctor and/or injury attorney in previous injury claims, which prompts the adjusters to question if the claimant is playing the system, or if the claimant, lawyer, and doctor are conspiring for monetary gain in the personal injury settlements. Adjusters always keep an eye out for recurring collaborations, such as when the same treating doctor and Springfield wrongful death attorney repeatedly appear in personal injury cases.
Professional Claimant
A Central Index Bureau (a service subscribed to by most insurers and large claims adjusters, which is a database that tracks information on physical injury claims) printout indicates that the claimant has an extensive claims history. An Index Bureau “hit” could even reveal the name of the attorney, the doctor and the type of injury, and the type of past claims, which are: workers’ compensation, auto bodily injury, slip and fall, etc. Adjusters actively use the Index Bureau response on each filing. Many efficiently managed claim offices will encourage or mandate the adjusters to file an Index Bureau sheet on each bodily injury claim.
Recurring Injury
The claimant shows a pattern of sustaining the same types of injury. This causes the claims adjusters to question if the injury is legitimate or if a claimant is “milking” the injury for monetary gain.
Too Convenient Coincidence Test
The claimant says his or her back/neck problems have returned just before the arrival of winter, a union walkout, or massive company layoff. Meanwhile, certain injuries are inactive in mild or nice weather.
Contact Us
The law offices McCarthy Rowden & Baker can provide you with a qualified Springfield wrongful death attorney who can handle your personal injury case with care and professionalism. Please call us today at 800-373-6050 for a free initial consultation.