Very often I’ll have a client call me and say that he (or she) thinks he’s being watched…that there’s a car down the street with someone sitting in it all day long…doing nothing but watching their house. That might sound like paranoia, but it’s often completely true. In recent years we have seen aggressive tactics from insurance companies including video surveillance teams which sit outside your house, taping your every move. Unfortunately this is completely legal so long as they stay on public property and don’t interfere with your activities. I have even seen them climb trees and hide in bushes to get video of people working in the back yard, swimming or simply enjoying time with family. There are surveillance teams that will wear lapel cameras other hidden cameras. They follow you into stores and try to catch people lifting bags or boxes into carts. They’ll follow you just about anywhere they can.

Sometimes these efforts are obvious. An “open tail.” They want you to know they’re watching. They want you to feel nervous. They want you to feel guilty. Don’t. If you have a workers’ compensation claim all you are doing is exercising your rights. If your doctor takes you off work, but says you can do some outdoor activities then do them. You’re not a prisoner in your own home. But do not do more than your work restrictions! The insurance company will often edit the tapes to cut out the parts they don’t like…or they edit it to make it look as though your doing more than you should. They’ll do anything to discredit you, so, be careful! And remember:

The insurance company likes to put surveillance on when the weather either improves (think spring) or is really bad (think blizzard). They want to catch you outside shoveling, planting, mowing, golfing…  So be careful!