If you have initiated a third-party claim with the car insurance company of the at-fault party, there is something you need to be aware of. The insurance industry is a million-dollar business, and insurance companies aim to minimize or outright deny your claim. They hire private investigators to achieve this goal. All they are eager to do is find a reason that can challenge the credibility of your claim. These investigators are hired to keep an eye on you and watch for an event that could be used against you. Insurance investigators may try to obtain information on your car accident case.
If you are wondering whether the spying behavior of these hired investigators complies with the law, the answer is ‘Yes’. In this article, we will take a look at how these private investigators work to undermine car accident claims. You will also learn how a professional car accident lawyer can best represent your case.
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Is It Legal For Car Insurance Companies To Spy On You?
Car insurance companies do not always hire investigators to keep an eye on you because they are expensive. Usually, they are hired in complicated cases where a huge sum of money is involved. However, hiring a private investigator is legal. Private investigators have the authority to click your photos, follow you while you are commuting anywhere and stalk your social media activity. These investigators will try to find dirt on you, which they can provide to insurance companies. Insurers can use this to minimize your claim.
What Do Private Investigators Look For?
Private investigators are not allowed to ask you for any information. Instead, all they can do is gather as much information about you as possible from the public domain. For example-
Social Media: They can closely monitor your activity on social media and look for comments or posts showing that they haven’t suffered as injuries as they claim.
They can follow you in public places without getting too close. Clicking your photos while commuting, interacting or eating in public places is all legal.
Document check: They have the right to access your past record documents to get a criminal background check.
What Is Against The Law For Investigators?
Although it is legal for private investigators to spy on car accident case claimants, there are certain limits.
- Investigators can’t violate your personal space. They must respect privacy laws and may not eavesdrop on you or record private conversations with others.
- Taking pictures of your home through a window
- Trespassing or Breaking into your home
- Tapping your phone, tapping your chats
- Trying to install a tracking system in your car.
- Impersonating an insurance company or a police officer.
- Trying to access your confidential information, such as passwords or protected data.
- They are not allowed to threaten you.
How Will I Come To Know If Investigators Are Spying On Me?
Private investigators are not easy to catch. They usually keep a low profile, so they try to merge with the people around them. However, there are still some signs to look for.
- Cars appear out of nowhere and follow you.
- A person trying to inquire about you from your colleagues, friends and family members
- Observing the same strangers repeatedly in your favorite places.
How To Protect Yourself?
The first thing you should do after a car accident is to get legal counsel from a car accident attorney. They are experts in such cases and may educate you on the possible ways private investigators may try to harm your case. For example, they can ask you not to post a certain picture on your Facebook account or ask about your medical history to frame a strong case for you.
