Insurance Defense Investigation: Singing, Dancing, and Disabled E-Newsletter Article
In early 2015, Texas Investigative Network, Inc. was retained by a Texas law firm to conduct an insurance defense investigation requiring covert surveillance on a plaintiff in a civil lawsuit. The plaintiff claimed he had sustained a back injury as the result of an accident at the client’s place of business. The plaintiff initially had back surgery, yet claimed that he was still injured and had limited physical capabilities as a result of this accident.
Of particular concern to our client was whether or not the plaintiff in the lawsuit was actually working during the time of our surveillance. To determine this, Texas Investigative Network Investigator Spears conducted three separate days of surveillance on this plaintiff. Each day, the plaintiff was observed traveling around the town he lived in, taking his acoustic guitar with him to each location. The plaintiff was very social and physically demonstrative communication on each day in which he was observed. At no point was the plaintiff observed to have any discernible signs of pain or disability.
On the final day of surveillance, our Investigator was required to initiate covert surveillance of the plaintiff inside one of the restaurants that the plaintiff had entered, carrying his guitar and what appeared to be CD cases. Once inside the restaurant, the plaintiff was observed singing, dancing, and playing his guitar for the restaurant patrons. The plaintiff was also observed selling CDs inside of the restaurant and accepting cash tips from some of the patrons.
Insurance Defense Investigation Results
All of these activities were captured on video and presented to our client in the form of a court-admissible surveillance DVD, along with a professionally detailed surveillance report. Our reports and surveillance video proved helpful to the law firm that engaged us in securing a settlement that was favorable to their client.
About the Author:
Bill Pellerin is the founder and President of Texas Investigative Network, Inc., a Texas Corporation founded in 1994. The company employs licensed investigators in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, McAllen, and San Antonio, Texas, and conducts investigations for several major Texas corporations, law firms, insurance companies, and financial institutions. Learn more