Accidents and injuries can happen anywhere. In Toronto, Ontario, if an employee is injured on the job, or requires time off for medical reasons, it is possible to make an insurance claim. Insurance claims provide financial resources for the injured or sick employee. They also provide a variety of other services. While rare, there are some situations where an employee lies about their injuries. In other situations, the employee isn’t really as sick as they claim. In these cases, surveillance is required.
Fake Accidents = Fake Injuries
A quick Google search will give you a variety of video surveillance from grocery stores to cafes to office kitchens. If you watch these videos, you can actually see the employee fake their injury. In some cases, the individual moves a wet floor sign and then ‘slips and falls.’ For other cases, the individual will throw ice or water on the floor and then ‘fall.’
In these examples, you can see that the injured party… isn’t really injured. The employee is looking for a way to get money from the company. Often the employee is looking for some free time off with pay. The good news is, in most of these examples, the employer can prove the accident wasn’t really an accident. How? Thanks to video surveillance technologies, an employee’s actions—and intentions—become quite clear. All anyone needs to do is watch the footage.
What is the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB)?
In Toronto, companies work with the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) to provide claims to employees. Every company that hires employees must have some kind of insurance. This is very important because if an employee is injured on the job, he or she will need support. This is the reason why when an employee is injured on the job, the WSIB steps in. Based on the injury and the number of weeks the employee needs off work, the WSIB will issue insurance claims and other important details.
Genuinely Injured or Sick? Make a Claim…
Do you live in Toronto, Mississauga, or Brampton? Did you get injured on the job and need time to recover? Do you need surgery that will require time off work? If you said ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you could likely make an insurance claim with the WSIB.
The reason why you can and should make a claim is that you need time off work. In some cases, you might be off work for weeks. Since you aren’t sitting at your desk or working your regular hours, the WSIB provides you with payments. These payments make up a percentage of your usual salary, but help to support you during your recovery.
In general, the majority of Toronto residents do not lie to their employer or to the WSIB. However, a select few try to game the system and get time off work with pay.
Surveillance and On-the-Job Accidents
If an employee is injured on the job, it is up to the company and the WSIB to prove the accident really happened. This is why it’s important for a company to set up surveillance around the building. Video surveillance, in particular, is very important. If there is an accident, management can review the video footage. Reviewing the video footage will show whether or not the accident is the fault of the company or the fault of the employee.
If you or the company you work for needs help setting up video surveillance, consider contacting a private investigator. A private investigator will know exactly how many cameras you will need. She or he will also tell you the best location to set up the cameras. This is important in the surveillance of your company’s buildings for many reasons. Employee safety is generally at the top of the list. However, other reasons include fraud and theft prevention.
Working with a Private Investigator
If the WSIB or company believes that an employee is making a false claim, they will often hire a private investigator. If the case requires it, the WSIB or company might hire a private investigation team.
Private investigators specialize in surveillance. This is the reason why companies and the WSIB hire private investigators. In Toronto, a good private investigator is trained in different methods. He or she will know how to approach an accident or injury claim. He or she will also know the right surveillance methods to use.
Think Like a Private Investigator…
Private investigators in Toronto really help both the WSIB and many different organizations. Ultimately, lying about an insurance claim is illegal. The WSIB also wants payments to go to employees who truly deserve the time off. Therefore, they will only hire a private investigator when they believe an individual is gaming the system.
For example, let’s say that the WSIB discovers that the employee’s doctor doesn’t actually have a practice. Alternatively, the doctor might indicate that the employee didn’t actually need sixteen weeks off from work. The WSIB will want to know if the employee is lying about his or her claim. They will want evidence and proof. That way, they can revoke the claim and in some cases, charge the employee a fine.
Working with a Private Investigator
In these cases, the WSIB or company will hire a private investigator. In Toronto, a private investigator, or private investigation team will use different techniques to gather evidence. Quite often, a private investigator will keep track of the employee. Wherever the employee goes, the private investigator will follow.
Let’s say that the employee claims to have a neck injury from a fall. If the private investigator catches the employee tossing their child into the air, chances are the injury isn’t as bad as they claim.
What Happens Next?
As you can see, surveillance plays a huge role in uncovering the truth. A private investigator will use surveillance techniques to get the bottom of an insurance claim.
Once a private investigator gathers enough evidence, he or she will present their findings to the WSIB or the company. It is a private investigator’s job to present facts. Therefore, a good private investigator will never alter the evidence or try and make it look like the employee is trying to make a false claim.
When a private investigator in Toronto provides the results of the case to the WSIB and employer, it is then up to those parties to either charge or releases the employee.
Do you need more information about our surveillance services? Our private investigators offer surveillance services in Toronto, Ottawa, Brampton, Kingston, Mississauga and other areas of Ontario and Canada. Contact us today!
Info@SmithInvestigationAgency.com or 1-888-950-4113
About the Author
Whitney Joy Smith
Founder of The Smith Investigation Agency in 2014, Whitney Joy Smith’s extensive background as a private investigator is matched only by her passion for the role. A graduate of several respected institutions, including Northwest Florida State College and George Brown College, her early years in life were spent between Canada and the United States. This education, along with her formative years as a private investigator in various agencies, informed much of her knowledge of private investigative laws, regulations, and operating standards in both countries.
The recipient of numerous industry awards and accolades, including the Consumers Choice Award, Best in Ottawa, and many others, Whitney takes pride in working closely with her ever-growing agency to raise the bar, maintain compliance, and meet the investigative needs of clients. Whitney is active in various membership and supporting roles, including the CPIRC, CBN, CAPI, Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and many others. Her experience-driven, thought-provoking articles have been featured in everything from Readers Digest to Business News Daily, and she strives to continually redefine standards for those in the private investigative and security fields. Learn more about Whitney and the team at The Smith Investigation Agency today.
