Services
Document a loss
Support a claim
For carriers and employers
Service areas
Middle Tennessee
- Nashville
- Clarksville
- Murfreesboro
- Franklin
- Hendersonville
- Smyrna
- Spring Hill
- Gallatin
- Lebanon
- Columbia
- Brentwood
- Mount Juliet
- La Vergne
- Cookeville
East Tennessee
West Tennessee
Claimant Activity Checks and Surveillance in Tennessee
Delator Claims Division conducts lawful observation of claimant activity for insurance carriers, self-insured entities, third-party administrators and their counsel. Surveillance is not offered to policyholders or claimants, who can instead request neutral documentation. Observation is from public vantage points only, with date-and-time-stamped video and factual logs.
- Coverage
- 95 of 95 counties
- Dispatch
- 24 / 7 / 365
- Metro response
- Under 60 min avg.
- Statewide
- 4-hour guarantee
What this service covers
In a bodily injury claim, the carrier evaluates a description of what the claimant can no longer do. Surveillance provides a direct record of what the claimant was seen doing in public on particular days. It does not diagnose anything and does not prove a claim false. It gives the adjuster, the defense attorney and any examining physician a factual reference to set beside the reported limitations.
Delator's investigators observe from public streets, parking areas and other places open to anyone. They record video with the date and time displayed, and they keep a running log of what was seen and when, including the hours in which nothing happened. They do not enter private property, do not film into homes, and do not contact the claimant or stage situations to prompt activity.
Situations where observation helps the file
- A claimant reports being unable to drive, lift or stand for long periods, and the claimed limitations drive most of the demand.
- Medical appointments are scheduled, and counsel wants activity recorded on the day of the examination and the days around it.
- Publicly posted online content shows the claimant at events or activities that appear inconsistent with the restrictions described in the file.
- A claim has been open for an extended period without the expected improvement, and the adjuster needs current information before a settlement conference.
- Defense counsel is preparing for a deposition and wants to know the claimant's ordinary routine before asking questions about daily activity.
What a surveillance assignment includes
- Pre-surveillance research
- Address verification, vehicle identification and review of publicly available online content, so field hours are spent at the right place and time.
- Date-and-time-stamped video
- Continuous video of observed activity with the date and time displayed, kept unedited so the full recording is available to counsel.
- Activity log
- A chronological log of each observation with clock times: departures, arrivals, items carried, movements made and periods with no activity.
- Subject identification
- Notes on how the person filmed was confirmed to be the claimant, including physical description, residence and vehicle association.
- Vantage point record
- The public location each observation was made from, establishing that the investigator stood where any member of the public could stand.
- Summary report
- A written report describing the observed activity in neutral terms, without medical opinion or comment on whether the claim is valid.
From request to delivered record
- RequestCall dispatch or submit the request form with the location, loss type and urgency.
- DeployDispatch assigns the nearest available licensed field investigator through the statewide network.
- DocumentPhotographs, video, measurements and factual notes are captured once the scene is safe to work.
- PreserveFiles are timestamped, organized and kept in their original form with a record of who captured them.
- ReportThe package is delivered securely to the requesting party, typically the same day.
Limits that keep surveillance lawful and usable
Delator observes only what is visible from public places. Investigators do not enter a claimant's yard, do not use devices to see or hear inside a residence, do not attach tracking devices to a claimant's vehicle, and do not follow a claimant into areas where a person reasonably expects privacy. They do not use pretext calls or visits to draw a claimant outside. If a claimant appears to notice the investigator, the observation is discontinued.
These limits serve the carrier. Video obtained by overreaching invites a dispute about how it was gathered instead of what it shows. A recording made from a public street, with a log that states where the investigator stood, leaves little room for that dispute. Delator does not state that its video will be accepted by any court; that decision belongs to the court. It does make sure the record of how the video was obtained is complete.
Reading the results fairly
A few minutes of video are a narrow sample of a life. A claimant filmed carrying groceries may have paid for it with a day in bed that no camera recorded. Delator reports the full period of observation, not only the active moments, so the reader can see how long the activity lasted, whether the claimant rested, used an assistive device, or was helped by someone else. Days with no activity are reported as such.
The report describes movement in plain terms: the claimant bent at the waist, lifted a bag from the trunk with both hands, and walked up four steps without using the rail. It does not say the claimant is uninjured, exaggerating or untruthful. Comparing the observed activity with medical restrictions is a task for the carrier, its counsel and qualified medical professionals, who can view the complete unedited video.
This service is available to insurance carriers, self-insured entities, third-party administrators and the attorneys who represent them. Delator reports facts and observed indicators; decisions on coverage, liability, settlement and any fraud referral remain with the client.
It is not offered to policyholders or claimants, and Delator does not act as a public adjuster. Policyholders and claimants can request neutral scene documentation instead.
Common questions about this service
Where do investigators observe from?
From public vantage points only, such as streets, sidewalks and parking areas open to the public. Investigators do not enter private property, do not record through windows into a residence, and do not follow a claimant into places where privacy is reasonably expected.
Will the report say the claimant is exaggerating an injury?
No. The report and video show what the claimant was observed doing, with dates and times. Delator offers no medical opinion and does not conclude that a claim is exaggerated or fraudulent. That evaluation belongs to the carrier, its counsel and medical professionals.
How many days of surveillance are usually assigned?
That is the client's decision and depends on the claim. Observation spread over more than one day, including different days of the week, gives a fairer picture than a single day. Delator can advise on scheduling around known appointments or routines identified in pre-surveillance research.
Can a private individual hire Delator to watch a claimant or an adjuster?
No. Surveillance through Delator Claims Division is offered to carriers, self-insured entities, third-party administrators and their counsel in connection with an open claim. Policyholders and claimants can request neutral documentation of a scene, vehicle or property.
Available statewide, including
Every Tennessee county is covered. See the deployment map for typical response tiers by county.
Request documentation anywhere in Tennessee
Dispatch is staffed around the clock. For time-sensitive scenes, calling is fastest; the request form works for routine and scheduled assignments.