Professionalism and the Colorado Insurance Claims Investigator

Jun 7, 2011

Advanced Professional Investigations seeks to actively educate the public about the necessary role insurance claims investigators play in worker’s compensation surveillance.  Professional and ethical investigators report only facts.  They have no bias in the case.  Professional investigators are mindful of the legalities and understand how to conduct surveillance investigations in ways that are unintrusive. Professional investigators maintain continuous education and training to remain compliant with laws affecting the investigative profession.

API believes the negative perception of  private investigations and its use in worker’s compensation cases stems from the fact that Colorado, until recently, was one of the very few remaining states that did not offer licenses to Colorado private investigators.  To this effect, it is very possible that an insurance claims investigator hired by an insurance company may well have no investigative experience whatsoever.  With no Colorado PI licensing program, it was possible that many of the untrained investigators were naive in the laws, techniques and ethics, which not only could result in a fraudulent or exaggerated claim not being mitigated, but could cause the subject of the investigation unnecessary distress.  API is licensed in Utah and Kansas and is one of the many ways we remain a leader in the private investigative profession. Large national private investigative firms coax insurance companies into signing long term contracts to provide investigative services. Many of these nationwide firms have a reputation of using inexperienced private investigators to claim a presence in Colorado Springs and Denver if not all of Colorado.  How many cases have been lost due to inexperience and unintentional mistakes?

The solution, then, is not to regulate the surveillance conducted on behalf of worker’s compensation or insurance claims agent, but to grant licensure to the private investigative industry in Colorado.  Everyone involved will benefit with the vetting, education and training that will allow clients the opportunity to ensure professional private investigators conduct the serious business of worker’s compensation and other insurance claims investigations.