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

FAQs

Why do insurance companies do surveillance? ›

Insurance companies, especially when dealing with car accident victims, employ various surveillance tactics to monitor claimants. These tactics are designed to gather evidence that might contradict a claimant's reported injuries or the severity of their condition.

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. They may also perform surveillance after they receive any new information about you.

It's perfectly legal. They can set up right outside your home, or outside where you work place. But usually they try to do it in such a way that you will not notice them. That's the only way they can really “catch” you.

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.

Surveillance is used by citizens, for instance for protecting their neighborhoods. It is widely used by governments for intelligence gathering, including espionage, prevention of crime, the protection of a process, person, group or object, or the investigation of crime.

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.

Insurance trackers plug into your car using a port typically found below your steering wheel. This is the same connection that a mechanic uses to read your car's computer data and discover any problems with your vehicle. The insurance company's device also reads your computer's data.

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.

Insurance companies often discover the truth when an insured person files a claim. The consequences of being found out may include higher premiums, loss of insurance, or fraud charges. Look for ways to save on your premiums, including shopping around and raising your deductible.

Do insurance companies tap your phone? ›

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.

The practice has been critized for breaching customer privacy and consumer rights. Some U.S. home insurance companies are using drone surveillance to decide whether to insure people's homes, according to a report.

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.

However, the insurance company's main priority is to pay as little money as possible for your injuries. As a result, insurance companies are notorious for spying on clients in order to try to obtain evidence that diminishes the personal injury claim.

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.