The reality of insurance claim surveillance footage is that actual video of what someone is doing is very compelling and powerful evidence. In instances where a claimant is observed and documented, the insurance carrier, and very likely a supervisor within that claims department, will review the footage and use it to evaluate if the observed activities are consistent with what the claimant has reported they are physically able to do. It’s that simple; unless you are a plaintiff’s attorney.
Enter “out of context”. This is where one tries to explain that what you are seeing is not actually what you are seeing. When a claimant reports that they are unable to lift or stand for long periods of time, then video is taken of them hanging Christmas lights on their gutters for 2 hours, please understand that they are actually hurt and this is some odd but certainly explainable exception to reality. “Out of context” can be applied to almost anything observed on video. A person who has an attendant care claim ongoing because they cannot take care of themselves but who decides to go shopping and out to lunch with a girlfriend, carrying shopping bags and large purse is not demonstrating that they are much healthier than they allege. They were simply having a miracle day in which shopping and dining out pushed the limits of their pain tolerance and actually a true testimonial as to the capabilities of an injured person who wants to fight back and live like a normal person for one short afternoon. Did you know that as a result of that shopping day they were laid up at home for two straight weeks, crying and moaning? (Incidentally they were not under surveillance at that time) Remember, the evidence of 9-11, the moon landings and the holocaust never happened and were simply taken out of context.
Perhaps to avoid the “issues” involved with insurance claim surveillance footage, all claims should be reported via a polygraph based interview about the extent of injury and claimants should have their homes monitored with remote cameras and they should wear a tether throughout their recovery. This would help us to get things in better context.