There is increased public scrutiny cast upon the claims industry. Very few insurance companies can afford to subscribe to the “we don’t want to know how you got the information” line of thinking anymore.

Companies want to be a good social partner, so try to find investigation companies with high ethical standards.  Bad investigations can cost a claims organization money; unethical investigations can cost them moral integrity, reputation and heavy handed legislation.

Assumedly, most investigations fall within the laws and rules of the jurisdiction in which they are conducted, but that is a minimum measure of ethics.  Being legal is not an ethical standard. Practices can be employed that technically do not violate applicable laws, but to local sensibilities are cumulatively corruptive to producing a fair and just investigation.

SIU departments are educating their claims people, and the metrics of claims organizations is changing so as not to penalize an investigation company or the SIU for saying no to a request.

It often takes longer in an investigation to get the results while maintaining a high ethical standard with honesty and honest practices: using legitimate means to access information and documents; being nonintrusive with surveillance to remain objective and non manipulative with subjects; not using threatening or intimidating questioning and providing a professional openness to reveal common practices.

An investigator’s honesty with SIU in how and where information was obtained has to show the warts and all.  A transparency of effort does not require the disclosure of any confidential information, special technique, or business alliance.  An investigative agency can still be shrewd and competitive, but must be honest for the sake of the investigation to be above reproach.  Insurance companies want investigations that evoke reciprocity of goodwill from the community.  Goodwill is earned through integrity.