A group of insurance claim adjusters like to think of themselves as being private investigators. They will sometimes conduct what they refer to as an “activity check,” which consists of the adjuster seeking out the claimant’s neighbors in order to make inquiries of them with regard to the alleged claimant’s disabilities. During this visit, he or she will ask the neighbors questions, such as, “Do you ever see him or her working in the yard or working on the car?” or “Do you ever see him or her cutting the grass or raking the leaves?”
Your knowledgeable Michigan personal injury attorney will tell you that if the answer is yes to any of these questions, those facts alone may neither be admissible or damning.
However, if the claims adjuster receives information from the neighbors that the injured person is active physically, the adjuster will then have some options to from which to choose. For instance, the adjuster may decide to retain a private investigator because the feedback gleaned from an activity check may have sent up red flags in the adjuster’s mind.
Yet, in order for the adjuster to setup the claim for denial, he or she will need photographs or, even better, videotaped footage of the claimant involved in vigorous physical activity such that it would undermine or impeach a bodily injury claim. This activity takes quite a bit of time, and tiresome hours will likely be spent hiding out in a surveillance vehicle. Adjusters usually hire a private investigation or surveillance firm to do this part of the job.
If you need a dedicated and experienced Michigan personal injury attorney, please call us at 1-800-LAWYERS for a free consultation.