Workers Compensation Investigations

Are your out of work injured employees faking it?

Workers compensation laws are intended to protect employees who get hurt in the workplace. All states have their own compensation laws. While these laws are vital to society, they can be and are taken advantage of by dishonest employees. Employers must investigate individual cases to prevent themselves from being taken advantage of. In fact, workers compensation fraud costs insurance companies and the public 60 billion dollars every year.

Benefits such as medical coverage are often part of the compensation people receive, many people out on disability have very little incentive to return to work. They can either stay at home, not work at all, and receive a portion of their salaries, or return to the daily grind at full pay. Some people opt for the former at the expense of their employers or the taxpayers. In most cases of fraud, professional private investigators have no problem providing evidence that someone has been faking disability.

One of the the only ways workers compensation can be taken away from an individual is if it can be proven that he or she can return to work and be productive. People often obtain jobs where they can earn cash and hide their income to avoid discovery. Between the guaranteed paycheck and a part-time job that pays cash, people out on disability can maintain their standard of living on much less work.

Fortunately for any company paying workers compensation, investigations frequently reveal the truth about people who lie about the severity of their injuries. An investigator can catch someone out of work participating in a sports activity, or performing strenuous work around the house. Such findings relieve employers and taxpayers of funding a healed person's extended vacation.

KHutch Investigations can document the daily routine of claimants, and identify how active they are, including:

• Are they currently working, how often and for how long do they work?
• Do they play any sports or engage in any form of strenuous activity?
• What range of movements are exhibited if they are unaware they are being watched?
• Do they recover when not being formally assessed?
• How briskly do they move injured limbs, and do they exhibit pain or discomfort?
• How many times do they bend (and how far) in a short period, or how far can they walk?
• Are they performing domestic chores such as gardening, washing or shopping?
• What is their general routine and demeanour?
• Are they withdrawn and morose, or happy, active and sociable?
• Other factors that may indicate an active and affluent lifestyle, such as a boat in the carport or a muddy 4x4 vehicle.

We provide factual, unbiased reports that enable you to make an informed and accurate assessment of the claim. Some of our reports show claims being valid, while others show there is a demonstrated injury or restriction, but highlight inconsistencies in the amount or severity being claimed. Some of our reports show there is no pain restriction of movement observed at all, while others clearly demonstrate intentional fraud such as limping out of a medical assessment, but running freely to catch a taxi once out of sight of the medical center.

These are the types of activities that our investigators can document and videotape to provide you with evidence that the claim is fraudelent. The investigation may show the claimant to have a valid claim which will also be documented and provided to you so you will have extra information in order to settle the claim. Either way you will have the facts you need to close the claim whether through settlement or prosecution.