Insurance investigators are a vital facet of the indemnity industry. There are insurance products sold to cover liabilities for a wide range of situations in life and each has its own internal investigators which make sure claims are legitimate. Unfortunately, insurance fraud has become a multi-billion dollar industry and costs each one of us dearly, since fraudulent claims raise every type of insurance premium for all consumers.
This resource section contains topical discussions that delve deeply into the realm of professional investigation in the insurance sector.
Types of Insurance Investigators
For every possible type of insurance coverage, there is a corresponding type of investigative process used to weed out suspicious claims:
Fire investigations are used for property damage losses in homeowners insurance, renters insurance and business insurance.
Car accident investigations are very common for personal and business automotive liability and collision policies.
Home and business insurance may also cover natural disasters, floods and other catastrophic occurrences which may warrant investigation.
Boat and watercraft insurance investigations can prevent high-end policy theft for ultra-expensive maritime property.
Personal injury investigations are some of the most common cases relating to property insurance.
Health insurance fraud can be committed by both care practitioners and patients.
Workers compensation investigations are opened on workers that are suspected of claiming benefits for false or inflated injury claims. Workers compensation fraud is a growing problem in the modern legal system.
Life insurance investigation is typical for some types of policies, especially if the death is suspicious or the payout is very large.
Disability investigation might occur from suspicious claims of physical or cognitive impairment, which prevent working.
Welfare fraud investigation helps to minimize the societal damage inflicted by callous criminals who falsify or exaggerate need.
Life insurance investigation requires both excellent detective skills, as well as exemplary interpersonal skills.
Dealing with Insurance Investigators
Just because your claim is being investigated, does not mean that you have done anything wrong. Many legitimate claims are looked into every day, as this is one way that insurance adjusters find potential instances of fraud. If you have done nothing dishonest, than you have nothing at all to fear. Your claim will be processed and paid as soon as it is cleared as being legitimate.
On the other hand, if you have forged or inflated a claim, or broken the law by purposefully damaging property, then there is a very good chance that you may be caught and prosecuted. Recent legislation has given law enforcement a far reach when it comes to discovering and prosecuting insurance fraud cases and it is about time. In our personal opinions, penalties are still too low to prevent the all too common fraudulent activity inherent to the insurance sector.
Tips on Insurance-Related Investigations
To learn more about why your claim is being investigated, you can call your insurance carrier and ask to speak to the SIU investigator handling your case. Cooperating with an insurance adjuster or investigator will help move your case along much faster.
To report suspected insurance fraud of any type, contact the carrier (if known) directly or simply contact your local law enforcement department. They will direct you how to proceed with your report.
Remember, insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. In fact, it costs us all a substantial amount of money every year for each type of insurance we are privileged enough to have.
Working detectives who are interested in this type of jobs are encouraged to read our article titled, Insurance Investigator Career.