How, When, and Why Insurance Companies Conduct Video Surveillance | Evan Schwartz (2024)

FAQs

Why do insurance companies do surveillance? ›

Active Surveillance

Some insurance companies will reach out to people you know and try to catch an inconsistency in your story. They're looking for any reason to deny you compensation and they will talk to people who know about the accident until they find something to use against you.

Insurance companies may conduct their own investigation in response to a particularly costly claim. This can include going to the scene of the accident and looking at surveillance footage or any other available evidence. Insurance companies may look at security camera or dashboard camera footage of the car accident.

Some insurance companies conduct routine surveillance at the beginning of a claim. You could be surveilled shortly after they receive the initial information about your claim and the nature of your disability.

You should ask your family and friends not to talk about you, post pictures of you, or tag you in their social media posts. The private investigator or insurance adjuster may also search their social media sites for damaging information about you.

Surveillance is a careful observation of a person, group, place, vehicle or a thing, undertaken in a secretive manner. Surveillance is valuable investigative tool that can provide information about the activities and identities of individuals.

Insurance adjusters will ask for a recorded statement as they are gathering information soon after the accident. This helps them to determine fault and how much compensation should be paid. Everything you say in your statement will be transcribed and put into a document, which becomes part of your claim file.

Many employers use video cameras to prevent internal theft, have a record of any employee accident or injury, and for security purposes. Most video surveillance in the workplace is permissible as long as employers notify workers about it. But there are some instances where surveillance isn't allowed.

Based on our research, most insurance companies offer a discount of 2% to 5% on your premiums if you install a home security system, but a few insurers offer up to 15%. Here's an example. Say your insurer offers a 10% discount for having a home security system.

Regular reviews of security camera footage are essential for monitoring employee activities and behavior. This proactive measure won't just optimize processes but also help you detect signs of potential insider threats, such as unauthorized access or suspicious behavior.

Insurance companies are more likely to investigate you when you file a large claim. Any large check that they write comes out of their profits. Therefore, they are looking for any way to escape paying for the damages their policyholder caused.

Do insurance companies check your phone? ›

Does a Car Insurance Company Have the Right to Request My Phone Records? It is possible for insurance companies to pursue this type of evidence. In nearly all situations, they will do so if they believe you could have been distracted while driving and that distraction is what caused or contributed to the accident.

Insurance companies cannot tap your phone, but they can request to see your phone records. They may ask you directly or they may go through court channels.

Insurance adjusters often use video surveillance as a reliable method to verify the authenticity of a claim. By hiring private investigators, they aim to capture footage of claimants involved in activities that might contradict their reported injuries.

Reasonable Cause: Insurance companies must have a good cause to conduct surveillance. They cannot randomly spy on claimants without justification. Transparency: If an insurance company is conducting surveillance, they should inform you of this fact. You have the right to know if you are under investigation.

One of the most frequently asked questions in our long-term disability practice is “Will my long-term disability insurance company spy on me during this process?” More often than not, unfortunately, the answer is YES!

Usually, insurance companies investigate claims to confirm the accuracy of the incident and related evidence. However, insurers should not take too long to process a claim, especially if it risks missing the statute of limitations for your claim.

Tracking devices allow insurance companies to accurately identify their safest drivers and then reward them with discounts. The discounts are also an excellent way for insurers to attract new customers. The devices may also help control the price of auto insurance for people who don't have them installed.

Pictures can provide more information and confirm a property's expected condition or hazard. A claim for new property damage is the most common reason an insurance provider will send an adjuster to your home to take pictures.