DO’s and DON’T’s
of the Insurance Investigator Interview
As an investigative tactic, your Disability
insurer will sometimes require an in-person interview with a claimant early
on in the process. Here are some
tips on dealing with that interview.
#1. DO Schedule the Interview
Often
they will send someone out to your home without notice and try to catch you by
surprise. You should
politely tell them that it is not a good time and schedule the interview for a
day and time that is convenient for you.
Do not be bullied into letting the investigator into your home
unprepared.
#2. DO
have someone present
Many
times we have seen the investigator’s report and it comes back with
inconsistencies and facts never discussed. It is therefore very important to have someone present,
preferably your attorney, so as to
corroborate what you have said or not said, or what you were or were not able
to do (physically).
#3. DO tape record the interview
Along
with having a witness, we also recommend that you tape record the
interview. This way, there can be
no question as to what you said, did or otherwise.
#4. DO
NOT be Inconsistent
While
you could be having a particularly good day, it is very important not to do or
say anything inconsistent with what you or your physicians have described as
your restrictions
and limitations. For example,
if you cannot sit for more than 20 minutes without pain, do not feel that you
have to endure pain to finish the interview. When you experience the pain that
sitting for a prolonged period causes, take a break, stretch, move around, lay
down, or whatever else you need to do to relax and alleviate some of the
pain. The investigator is already
looking for inconsistencies; do not give him or her any ammunition.
#5. DO
NOT Volunteer Extraneous Information
Answer
only the questions that are asked of you, and do not fill the “void of silence”
between questions with chatter.
You run the risk of giving out information that the investigator can
misconstrue and use against you.
#6.
DO
NOT be Fooled into Thinking the Investigator is Your Friend or On Your Side
The
investigator is not your friend. Although
this is not true of every claim
or every insurance company, very often the investigator has been given marching
orders to find information that will permit the insurer to deny your claim. They may appear friendly, but they are
not looking out for your interests in any way. For example, the investigator
may comment about your lovely home and ask to tour it. You should say “no” as this is not
required. More often than not, if you do allow the investigator a tour, he or
she will find something about your home that will have a negative effect on
your claim, like that your house is particularly clean (meaning that you have
the ability to do the hard work required to keep it that way), or that you have
stairs (which you are obviously able to climb repeatedly throughout the day),
and other such matters. In short,
no good will come from sharing too much information!
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