Our personal injury lawyers often get calls from clients asking whether it’s legal for insurance-companies to conduct surveillance. These could be clients who have made long term disability claims following a serious accident in which they were injured.

Most clients are taken aback to know that it’s legally permitted for insurance companies to hire their own investigators. These investigators are employed to conduct various types of surveillance on claimants. Surveillance may include videotaping, clicking photographs, and the most recent, powerful methods of tracking claimants on social media platforms.

Investigators may gather evidence that shows people shopping, attending entertainment and sports events, emerging from bars or liquor stores, attending to small children in parks or at the school-bus-stop, traveling by car or public transport, posting comments about your state of health on social media, posting photos of yourself at parties, family gatherings etc, or even simply laughing at a joke. What such evidence can prove is that:

• you are not as physically disabled as you claim
• your mental and emotional state are not affected
• you are capable of conducting normal every day life

Such evidence can be used to contest your claim and deny long-term disability benefits.

However, there are certain limits placed on the amount and type of surveillance allowed. If you feel that your privacy is being invaded, investigators are trespassing or doing something out of the bounds of law, it’s important to immediately contact your personal injury lawyer. You can get a restraining order or contact the police authorities.