A Claimed Inability to Work, Four Days of Surveillance in San Antonio

The situation

An insurer was evaluating an active workers’ compensation claim in San Antonio. The claimant had reported specific physical limitations, and the people reviewing the claim needed to know whether his ordinary day matched what he said he could and could not do. They were not asking us to prove fraud. They were asking for an objective record.

Our approach

Claims surveillance is reviewed by adjusters, defense counsel and sometimes medical professionals, so the report has to be precise and honest. We documented each type of activity separately, such as driving, walking, lifting and travel, and noted whether any assistive device was used each time. Days with no activity were reported just as carefully as days with plenty, because a report that leaves out quiet days is less credible.

Investigators covered four days at the claimant’s residence and the places he traveled to.

What we found

The first day was the most significant. Over roughly four hours, the claimant was documented:

• Arriving home driving a full-size pickup truck
• Walking between the truck and the house without assistance, carrying a bag and other items over several trips
• Driving to a second residential address and carrying in what appeared to be a bag of tools

At no point was a cane, walker, crutch or brace observed, and he showed no visible difficulty walking. The second day produced no observable activity, and that was recorded. The final two days were consistent with the first.

The outcome

The insurer received a timestamped report and video organized by day and by activity. We did not offer medical opinions; we described what was seen. That gave the professionals evaluating the claim facts they could weigh, rather than a description they had no way to check.

Names and identifying details have been changed, and this case is shared with the client’s permission.

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