Workcover Mental Injury Claim Investigation

Probably one of the hardest areas of investigation is mental injury, mental incapacity. A mental injury investigation is an investigation of an injury that cannot be seen, that is inferred from behaviour.

A Workcover mental injury claim investigation has two parts, the injury must be work related, and the persons behaviour must be consistent with the claimed injury. Establishing that the injury is work related takes a combination of factual investigation, and medical examination. The contributing factors can include the actions of supervisors, of work companions, of work load, and length of exposure. Any significant events may also contribute. the consistency of the claimed injury and displayed behaviour is usually addressed by discreet surveillance.

A Workers Compensation claim for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is often linked to long periods of exposure to events which have ground down the person, or a single horrific event which has impacted the person. Adjustment disorders seem to be harder to define. Depression is another disorder which is often quoted. The contributing factors may be work related, or personal. 

The role of the private investigator, private detective, is in the initial stages compiling a brief of surrounding circumstances, and in the later stages conducting Workers Compensation surveillance, Workcover surveillance, private investigator surveillance, to observe and record evidence of behaviour. The private investigator surveillance must be discreet, and not push hard. to record the normal life activity of the person, to observe their behaviour. Remembering that a majority of claims have some basis, we are looking for behaviour inconsistent with the claimed restrictions.

The investigation may reveal nothing inconsistent with the claim, which is to the benefit of the claimant. It may also reveal activity, and engagements, inconsistent with the claim, such as undeclared business activity, cash work, and someone enjoying a great life without work. There is always a due diligence aspect to investigations, especially where exposure is large, surveillance addresses this.

When you require a Workcover Mental Injury claim investigation, a Workers Compensation claim investigation, contact us for a free quote.