When you suffer from a disability, it’s reasonable to assume there will be bad days and some days that are a little better, if not even considered good.  However, it seems that the disability insurance companies, private investigators who are conducting surveillance on you, some members of the general public, and perhaps even friends and family will forget that the good or better days don’t make up for the bad days, which far outnumber the good days.

The good days can still be bad

So how does a good day turn in to a bad day?  A good day may mean that you feel relatively good in that minute, that hour, that morning or evening, or that day, so you try to do something that you’ve been meaning to get done around the house.  Feeling good may mean that you try to get that shopping done that you haven’t been able to do in order to stock your fridge and pantry.  Feeling good may mean that you try to take a short walk to get some sunshine because you’ve been cooped up in the house.  The problem is, a lot of people don’t see or know the suffering that comes the next few hours or days because you pushed yourself beyond what you normally do.  This can hurt you in other ways as well.

Do insurance companies conduct surveillance?

Yes, the insurance companies frequently hire private investigators to conduct surveillance.  To expand on that, should the insurance company investigators see you doing any of the above, either via photos or video surveillance, they don’t also see the results of that shopping trip and the pain that arises later as a result.  The insurance company also doesn’t see the letters from the HOA, threatening to fine you for your grass that’s overgrown and out of control.  They simply see you walking, reaching, twisting, or bending in that moment in time – evidence a disability insurance administrator may deploy to derail your disability benefits.   This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to have as many good days as you can.  It simply means that anyone receiving disability insurance benefits should be aware that the insurance company may be watching, and the way surveillance is used is definitely not always in your best interest.

So how do I have more good days when I’m disabled?

The CDC has some recommendations  to help people with disabilities and this article has a few useful tips/advice.  And Cremeens Law Group PLLC is always here to do its part if you have been denied disability insurance benefits.