If you’re pursuing a workers’ compensation claim in Georgia, there’s something you should know up front: there’s a real chance the insurance company is watching you. Not metaphorically. Someone may literally be sitting in a car down your street with a camera.

At Poirier Law Firm, we’ve been handling Georgia workers’ compensation cases for over 25 years. A common question we get from clients is how common private investigator surveillance really is. The honest answer is that it’s very common, especially once a case is in litigation and the other side is fighting hard. We want to walk you through what we’ve actually seen happen to our clients, so you can protect yourself and your claim.

Why the Insurance Company Does This

Your workers’ comp case involves real money. Surgery, lost wages, disability ratings, and settlements add up fast, and the insurance company’s goal is to pay as little as possible. One of the easiest things we see the other side do to kill a case is follow you around and look for anything that contradicts what you’ve said about your injury.

We tell our clients this plainly: they’re watching you every second of your case. That’s not us trying to scare you. It’s the reality of how these cases are fought.

Real Cases We’ve Handled

Attorney Julie Poirier shared a few of these stories on video recently — you can watch it here — but here’s a closer look at what we’ve seen happen to our own clients in Georgia workers’ comp cases.

The back injury client who helped his neighbor move

We had a client with a legitimate back injury that required surgery. A private investigator followed him and caught him helping his neighbor move. He was carrying a sofa up three flights of stairs and crawling under a moving van to grab something that had dropped. The investigator sent the video straight to his surgeon. The surgeon’s response was immediate: if he can do that, he doesn’t need surgery. That one video changed everything about his case.

The scrap metal side hustle

Not every case involves dramatic footage. We had a client who was selling scrap on the side while receiving benefits. When the insurance company asked him if he was doing any work, he said no. They had already filmed him doing exactly that. Even small things can hurt you when there’s video to contradict what you’ve said.

The thumb injury and the gas pump

One of our clients had a really bad thumb injury. He’d been through multiple surgeries and told the insurance company he was unable to work. They followed him and caught him pumping gas using his thumb just fine, lighting a cigarette with a lighter using that same thumb, and playing pool. Three short clips, and suddenly the entire story of his case was under attack.

Social Media Is the New Surveillance

Private investigators are still very common, but honestly, the biggest thing we see now is social media. Clients post things without realizing the other side can get access to their entire account. Everything.

We had a young client whose employer offered him light duty. He was online bragging about how he was going to tell them the next day that the light duty was too hard, laughing about the whole thing. All of that became part of his case. His own posts did more damage than any investigator could have done.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Claim

None of this means you have to live in a bubble. It means you have to be honest, consistent, and aware. Here’s what we tell every client:

• Be truthful about what you can and can’t do. If your restrictions say no lifting over ten pounds, don’t lift more than ten pounds, even for a quick favor. Your doctor’s notes and your actions need to match.

• Assume you’re being watched. Surveillance is legal in public places. Gas stations, parking lots, your front yard, stores, and restaurants are all fair game.

• Tell the truth when asked about work. If you’re doing any paid activity, even informal side work or cash jobs, talk to us first. Do not tell the insurance company you aren’t working if you are.

• Stay off social media, or lock it down. Don’t post photos, videos, or updates about activities, trips, workouts, or anything physical. Don’t vent about your case online. Tighten your privacy settings and stop accepting friend requests from people you don’t know.

The Bottom Line

Surveillance and social media monitoring can impact your Georgia workers’ comp case in a hard way. A single video can derail a surgery approval, reduce a settlement, or hand the other side leverage they didn’t have before. The good news is that you control most of what ends up on that tape. If your actions line up with what you’ve told your doctor and the insurance company, there’s nothing for them to use against you.

If you’re dealing with a work injury in Georgia and you want someone in your corner who knows exactly how the other side plays this game, we’d be glad to talk with you. At Poirier Law Firm, we’ll walk you through every step of protecting your claim. Reach out to our office for a free case review!