As mentioned in a prior post, if you think that the insurance company that’s handling your ERISA disability claim is spying on you, they probably are. Insurance companies have a vested interest in limiting as many claims as possible – fairly or not.
Now, the question becomes, “What can you do about it?” Here’s what you should know:
Your social media is probably being watched
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the internet is so vast that the insurance company can’t possibly track down your posts on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat or elsewhere. Nothing you put online is likely to remain private for very long, no matter what your privacy settings.
Just posting memes and commentary on Twitter could be used against you. If, for example, you have carpal tunnel syndrome, the insurance company may point to your frequent posts to say that your condition clearly isn’t all that bad.
In this situation, the wise person will shut down their social media pages entirely until their claim is settled.
You have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public places
It may be absolutely infuriating to see a private investigator’s vehicle parked across the street from your front door – but there’s probably nothing you can do about it. Most of the time, you can be filmed, photographed and recorded if you’re out in public – whether that’s just outside your door, while driving down the road or walking into the grocery store.
You do, however, have the right to stop someone from intruding on your privacy inside your own home. If you catch an investigator peeping in your windows, standing on your lawn or peering over your back fence, you have every reason to order them off your property (even if you’re a renter).
If it gets too intrusive, you may need help
You may be able to force the insurance company to back off if their tactics become too intrusive. For example, following you to your doctor’s office may be taking things too far. You may be able to exert some counter-pressure, via your attorney, to have the investigators take a step back.