If you’re an injured maritime worker who’s recently filed a personal injury claim with your employer, you may be getting the feeling you’re being watched. You’re not being paranoid. It’s not uncommon for an employer’s insurance company to keep tabs on employees who file claims for personal injuries.
Why Would I Be Under Surveillance After a Maritime Injury?
Insurance companies often hire private investigators to conduct surveillance of a plaintiff who’s filed a personal injury claim. The insurance company does this to protect their interests. Fraud is a big problem for insurance companies. They want to ensure that the person who is filing a personal injury claim is really as injured as they claim.
Fraud isn’t the only reason for the surveillance. The insurance companies want to pay as little as possible to settle a personal injury claim. They’re willing to resort to all kinds of tricks, including secretly recorded evidence, to deny an injured maritime worker the compensation they deserve.
Is this type of surveillance legal?
It is as long as they don’t trespass onto your property.
Video surveillance isn’t the only kind of snooping the insurance companies do. You can be sure they’re following (and saving) your social media posts. In addition, any interaction you have with your employer will be saved or recorded.
Actions and Words Taken Out of Context Can Hurt Your Case
How you conduct yourself after you file a personal injury claim with your maritime employer can have a big impact on the outcome of your case. Everything you say and do has the potential to be used against you when it comes time to negotiate a settlement.
The problem for the injured maritime worker is how the surveillance evidence is used. In many cases, the insurance company will attempt to use words and pictures out of context to make it appear as if you are not as injured as you claim. This is why it’s so important to take steps to protect your rights after an accident.
Protect Yourself Against Surveillance After a Maritime Injury
If you’re a worker who’s been injured in a maritime accident, your actions following the accident can have a big impact on how much money you are able to collect. In order to protect your rights to the fullest, it would be a good idea to hire a personal injury attorney with experience in maritime law.
Lambert Zainey has been helping maritime workers get the compensation they deserve after being injured in an on-the-job accident that shouldn’t have happened. Our maritime injury attorneys have been representing injured workers involved in all aspects of the marine industry, including seamen, longshoremen, and offshore oil rig workers since the 1970s. We’ve obtained over a billion dollars in settlements for workers injured in marine accidents of all kinds, including the Arco natural gas platform explosion and the capsizing of the drillship Seacrest.
Lambert Zainey is headquartered in New Orleans, but we serve clients injured in accidents all over the U.S. Call us today to schedule a consultation with one of our highly experienced maritime personal injury lawyers about your case.