Been Injured At Work? Private Investigators are on the way.

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“God gives his toughest battles to his toughest soldiers.”

Have you recently been injured at work and have made an application for Workers Compensation or taking legal action against your ex-employer for negligence? Well you can almost certainly guarantee that you will be placed under surveillance by the legal representatives of the insurance company.

These goons for hire will attempt to film you, follow you and harass you.

Normally, most private investigators try their very best to remain undetected by the subject. Their role is one of gathering “evidence” for and on behalf of the legal team representing both the ex-employer and the insurance company.

This “evidence” will be given to the court with the purpose and aim of discrediting you and your claim.

These people and the lawyers who hire them, are not the least bit interested in the truth – not at all. Their entire purpose is to limit any payout and find a way out for the insurance company, limiting their exposure to any damages claim. The truth is irrelevant to these scum bags and your suffering is of no concern to them. They are completely ambivalent in regard to the harm and/or fear their behavior may cause to you.

In short, they are about as close as one can be to evil, whilst remaining within the law.

In my case, I first became aware I was under surveillance very quickly following being assaulted by a drunk at work, whilst I walked around my home town of Mandurah just north of where I reside.

The classic way of recognizing that you are being followed of course is to stop and quickly turn around and watch the reaction of those behind you. Often the private investigator will also turn around as if to try and demonstrate they are not watching and/or filming you.

There are other ways of confirming one is under surveillance. Ever had someone following you in a super market – just hanging around, perhaps not buying or purchasing anything. Look for the pen camera on their shirt or carrying an open bag. These days cameras can be placed almost anywhere so don’t look for a camera necessarily because in almost all cases the camera will be concealed in some way.

I was however “filmed” whilst having a bite to eat in Hungry Jacks by a person holding their mobile phone. The antics were really quite comical as this person tried not to be conspicuous by filming me with her mobile. It was farcical frankly. Many of these people are not so smart – remember that.

Another occasion I had a man with a dog who all of a sudden appeared out of nowhere. He was sometimes accompanied by a female who was either with him as he walked along a path with his large Huskie dog watching me, or in a car nearby. They would walk past my home whilst I was watering the lawn,one of the few remaining things I am able to do for myself and say “Hello. Nice day etc etc”

A young woman followed me into a news agency post office, stood right next to me as I addressed an envelope with an open bag next to her. She reeked of private investigator who had me under surveillance so I just engaged her in conversation. The same young woman would follow me around the supermarket.

I had men in their 60’s sit on a chair within the shopping centre “reading” a newspaper, watching and following me. I think these people, many of whom are either failed or ex police, have been watching too many spy movies. Again, they scream private investigator and their body language is a dead giveaway.

On many occasions I was approached by people at the bus stop. These people would approach me on the pretext of wanting to know when the next bus may arrive or where it may be traveling to. I even had two young men approach me at the bus stop and request change for a $20 dollar note. I will never forget the grin on one of the monkeys as his half-wit mate tried to make the small talk.

The time of highest risk of being placed under surveillance is when you are scheduled for an examination by medicos for the insurance company. That is the time when the insurance company and the private investigators can be certain that they will have an opportunity to film you or otherwise watch you.

And remember, they will also be watching your twitter and facebook account as well. This they will do in an effort to see what you may be up to, where you may be and what you have done recently.

If this concerns you and for me it didn’t as I had nothing to hide, you can call yourself Mickey Mouse if you wish to remain anonymous.

What is most comical about these people and their manner is that they are immediately recognizable as private investigators as a result of their behavior.

Watch the reaction of the person standing behind you in the que at the supermarket when you turn and and look at them. They will in all probability look anywhere other than at you, certainly will not make eye contact, something they are taught in PI school not to do.

I remember the half wit private investigator with the 4 wheel drive (many seem to prefer the 4 wheel drive for some reason) who would sit in the same spot in the supermarket car park and I would simply walk straight past on my way to the bus stop. This fool would also follow me on occasion to the local hospital and for physio, following the bus I was traveling in using the same 4 wheel drive of course.

You will almost certainly have a GPS tracking device attached to your car if you drive. I even had people knocking on my front door, presumably to see if I was still residing at the same address.

I had phone calls in the middle of the night, checking presumably to see if I was in the country, listening for any delay that would tell the private investigator that one was answering the phone whilst overseas.

I had a pizza store ring me and tell me my pizza was ready to be picked up. Only problem was I had ordered no pizza.

I had private investigators parked around the corner near my home. They will track you by way of your mobile phone.

Very early on whilst walking along a path to see my psychologist who was helping me with my PTSD and associated fear, I was followed by a man from the bus stop. For a moment I thought I was about to be attacked by the man as it was obvious he was both following me and sizing me up – I thought in order to bash me, something that had happened to me on the rail camp where I was injured.I fled into a service station and I only recognized him as being a private investigator when he immediately rang on his mobile phone his master and turned and walked away in the opposite direction from where he came whilst following me.

You think I was sacred? You bet! I freaked – panicked thinking I am about to be bashed again.

Following, I would have men and women deliberately surrounding or passing me on a footpath to see my re-action. Again, these people were all private investigators engaged in deliberate harassment and stalking.

The above are just a few examples of the lengths these animals will go to, putting innocent victims of violence through further punishment just for wanting to claim their rights within the law. It is a scandal frankly that the law allows this type of behavior to continue and is reflective of the pull the insurance industry has with the politicians who make the laws of the land.

Were others to be treated as such, no doubt police intervention and prosecution would ensue.

Private investigators acting at the behest of lawyers for the insurance industry are in many ways above the law and accountable to no one. This is an outrage and a stop to this disgusting and unnecessary conduct should be made.

In short, you will be tracked, watched, filmed, followed and if need be stalked and harassed well beyond your tolerance. Despair and a sense of helplessness will become all pervasive as it did with me. This may also have a profound impact upon a persons sanity and mental health generally.

But what about the law you may ask yourself? Surely this is unlawful? Well – think again. Private Investigators in most Australian states if not all are exempt from anti stalking and harassment laws. And that is directly due to the punch that the insurance industry has with government. Never mind a citizens human rights, their sanity and right to go about ones lawful business free of fear in a public place. Just think about the billions that these insurance thugs make and their need to protect their income and profits from those who make a claim.

Who cares about the rights of the citizen in what we are told is a free western liberal democracy? NOT THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY THAT IS FOR SURE.

DIRTY TRICKS

In one notorious case, a man was jailed for giving false evidence and insurance fraud largely based on what was later to be discredited film footage of him on his tractor.

The footage was date and time stamped and showed the man driving his tractor at a time when he had made claim he was unable to do so. The fraud of the private investigators became apparent only when after being jailed, further evidence was deduced before the court which showed that at the time the man was supposed to have been driving his tractor as per the date and time stamp upon the film footage, the trees would have been in bloom behind him and they were not. So in other words, what happened was that he was filmed alright, but the footage was tampered with to give it another date and time of the year, not when he was unable to drive the tractor.

Was the person responsible for this fraud punished? Short answer – NO! An innocent man was jailed, deprived of his liberty and labeled an insurance fraudster even though he was completely innocent. Just hope this never happens to you.

I know of a case where the cleaners of a persons home (he was unable to clean his home due to his injuries) were wired up by the private investigators so as to gather “evidence” of the man and his habits. In another case a “carer” was wired with sound and video when she met with her client who had made a claim and then proceeded to ask leading questions even putting words into the injured man’s mouth, all in an effort to paint a picture that the man was a malinger. He was not.

Now I suppose I am not your ordinary Joe as I did counter surveillance and I was also a press photographer for 30 years which is good training and background for being aware of ones surroundings – being aware of what’s is going on around one. I was a trained observer for more than 30 years and one develops a six sense about what is happening in ones immediate surroundings.

There is no doubt that this helped me in recognizing the tell tale signs of the private investigator.

The best way of avoiding these creatures altogether would be to simply vanish. This is however not so easy when one is compelled to present for physical examinations at the behest of the insurer which of course is when your trail will be picked up by the private investigator.

But if you are like me, have nothing to hide, just ignore them all. Do not under any circumstances become aggressive or annoyed with these cretins because that will be used against you. Just ignore them and rejoice in the knowledge that it is costing the insurer a bucket full of money placing you under surveillance. It is not cheap and PI’s charge large sums of money to watch and record people.

Like me, the vast majority of people who take legal action or otherwise claim Workers Compensation are genuine people who are both honest and law abiding. The very very small minority are malingers or fakers. These days it is near impossible to fake injuries with MRI and CT scans not to mention bone scans and with all the medical reviews and experts one must present to for verification of ones injuries. If you were a masochist, you may bring it upon yourself but I can tell you from personal experience, taking legal action is not something I would wish upon my worst enemy. It is debilitating emotionally and financially. Nonetheless, it is now impossible to fake injury and the insurance industry know this – yet are still prepared to pay huge sums to private investigators in the hope they will put pressure upon claimants and make perverse argument to the court with the hope they can convince a judge that you are not genuine.

The “Expert”

The insurance companies will insist that you attend with their so called experts. These people are almost entirely there for one purpose. To minimize any damages payout. I have seen  more than a dozen of these people including medical doctors and psychiatrists and when attending with the insurance companies so called expert, you often wonder had they written a report about another person –  had they examined another person? They will play down your injuries and play up anything – look for any reason upon which to hang their hat – to argue you are not so badly injured and that you can return to work.

One of their best little tricks is to diagnose your injuries as “degeneration” due to ones age.

These people are paid by the insurance companies and for so many pieces of silver, they will reject your injuries. Their “opinion” is often accepted over your own experts. Nonetheless, the fact that ones claim turns entirely on an opinion of a so called expert who is paid by the insurer, is unjust and totally unfair and is dangerous as it may well lead to a grave injustice being perpetrated upon an injured and vulnerable person – you the injured worker.

Finally, many doctors and surgeons are in the pockets of the insurance companies. This fact means little to the court who seem to view this entire process as an even struggle or contest. It is not. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is in all, something of a David and Goliath struggle. 

If you require an operation, if you are able to avoid a surgeon who is in the pay of the insurer, you will be very lucky as insurance companies seek to get as many as is possible onto their pay book. These doctors and surgeons have one eye on you and one eye on the insurance company and what is expected of them when writing reports, making recommendations etc.

Believe me when I say, all of the above is designed to achieve the ends of the insurance companies and they know it. I suspect the various judicial officers of the court know it as well.

At the end of it all, if it goes to trial, you will feel like you have been put through a washing machine and hung out to dry and that’s exactly what the insurance company is hoping. The process will take many years to complete and in many cases 10 years is not unheard of.

UPDATE  15 August 2015

The legal team for my ex employers and their insurers have just refused to hand over my reports that were made by me whilst I was their employee at the camp where I was bashed. I have been calling for these reports for years now without any success. The very reason the other side are refusing to give me my reports is that the evidence contained within the reports prove the lie to their pleadings to the court that the assault upon me was not foreseeable. My reports show a history of violence at the camp and moreover they show that not 24 hours before I was bashed, I telephoned from the camp to my duty manager in Perth pleading that help be sent to me as the camp was out of control with fights, people urinating, general anti-social behaviour as well as whole sale breaches of the rules of the camp. I was all alone with 242 people at the camp with many drunk and out of control. As a result of non-disclosure, I have instructed my lawyers to begin further legal action in order to subpoena these reports for the benefit of the court and we will be seeking an order for costs also.

The NUMBER ONE RULE IS TELL THE TRUTH. Never ever tell a porkie pie or seek to exaggerate your injury or symptoms because YOU WILL BE FOUND OUT.

The facts, the evidence, your integrity and honesty is your best weapon as a plaintiff before the court. 

SEE ALSO http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2820185/hunted-like-criminals-stressed-cops-tracked/?cs=298

 http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/prenzler.pdf

http://aworkcovervictimsdiary.com/2011/09/workcover-and-private-investigators-the-truth/