Does the Workers’ Compensation Program in Illinois Spy on You?

If you’re pursuing a workers’ compensation claim in Illinois, you might be worried about engaging in various activities as you recover from your accident. What if the workers’ comp program spies on you? What if they see you walking around your neighborhood or visiting your local mall? Is the workers’ compensation program allowed to keep track of you like this? These are questions you might want to ask a workers’ comp lawyer.

The Workers’ Compensation Program Has the Right To Surveil You 

First, you should know that workers’ comp (and the relevant insurance companies) have the right to surveil you after your workplace accident. They typically use private investigators to carry out these activities. Private investigators are legal, and they may be able to take photographs or videos of you in public. Your employer may also carry out surveillance of you independent of insurers and the workers’ comp program.

Surveillance Is Unlikely After Minor Injuries and Small Claims 

With all that said, surveillance is highly unlikely if you have a small claim or you’re recovering from a minor injury. For these minor cases, paying private investigators to follow you simply isn’t worth the expense. Obviously, it does not make sense to spend more on surveillance than the cost of the claim itself.

Surveillance after minor injuries is also unlikely because it will be difficult to detect potential fraud. For example, you might have suffered whiplash after driving a delivery van for your employer. In this situation, you might still have the ability to go outside, walk around, or even exercise. Therefore, there is no real point in following you.

Social Media Surveillance Is a Genuine Threat 

Often, investigators uncover alleged fraud without physically following you. Instead, they might simply follow your social media account and gain access to virtually everything you do throughout the day. If you’re the type of person who likes posting regularly on social media, you might want to rethink these activities as you recover.

A single social media image can lead to a denied claim. For example, you might post a photograph of you sitting next to a pool in your bathing suit. The nature of your injury might make swimming impossible – raising questions about the legitimacy of your claim. However, you might have simply sat next to the pool without ever getting into the water. This is just one example of how a misunderstanding on social media can have serious consequences.

Can a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Chicago Help Me Fight for My Rights? 

One of the key roles of a workers’ compensation lawyer in Chicago is their advocacy for your rights. If you believe that the workers’ compensation program in Illinois is spying on you or harassing you in any way, your lawyer may be able to push back on your behalf. To learn more about your rights as an injured worker, consider scheduling a consultation with Conolly Injury Law today.

Sources: 

sj-r.com/story/news/state/2011/12/04/state-employees-in-southern-illinois/41744841007/

thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_dd1e31f6-1109-11ed-a89e-8b44aab5d800.html