In the real world there is a place for insurance investigations. Insurance fraud is a serious problem and a crime. False claims for theft, fire and other matters do occur. In personal injury cases there are also those who will fake or exaggerate an injury in hopes of creating a bogus claim or inflating the value of a legitimate one. Attorneys representing personal injury victims have an ethical obligation to investigate a claim and the vast majority do. Hence the lions share of people wishing to make false claims cannot find attorneys to represent them. But some are able to pull wool over their lawyer’s eyes who naively take their case. In some circumstances a fraudster will be able to find a lawyer who will turn a blind eye to the situation and unethically advance a claim that lacks merit.
Yet unlike the noble Johnny Dollar, some insurance investigators and the companies they work for engage in their own fraudulent schemes. Their goal is to deny the legitimate claims of honest claimants be they an adverse party or a policy holder. In doing so they literally add “insult to injury”. An entire book can be written with examples of this. But for purposes of this article, I will simply provide one to illustrate the depths some insurance investigators will go to. This happened on the southside of Atlanta.
A well-known auto insurance company with catchy television ads decided it did not want to pay an uninsured motorist claim filed by their policy holders, a husband and wife. A male and female insurance investigator falsely posing as a married couple attended a church service where the policy holders were members. They told the pastor they were new to town and were looking for a church home. The investigators then infiltrated a private group therapy session held at the pastor’s home. While there they secretly recorded the privileged communications between the pastor and all of the church members in attendance, not just the policy holders. The people attending the session had a variety of personal problems and in typical group therapy fashion confessed their deepest and darkest secrets. It is uncertain how this plot was revealed. Perhaps a whistleblower with a conscious working for the insurance company spilled the beans. It represents but the tip of the iceberg of such activities. Most unsavory conduct by insurance investigators lies submerged below the waterline and never sees the light of day.
One cannot control the actions of the insurance company of an adverse party. But a person can and should investigate the reputation of their own insurance company prior to purchasing a policy. Google the name of an insurance company accompanied with words such as “fraud”, “fined” or “investigated” and you will be shocked at what you may find regarding some insurance companies. Investigate them before they investigate you!
Insurance is supposed to protect you from unplanned challenges. But are you confident that your provider is there for you when you need them the most? Call the one you can trust to discuss your challenges. Contact Chris today … click here.