private investigators

sparkyjo

hey there


not sure if this is the right place to put this

i am in a court case and my solicitor has told me that i should get a PI to check the other person as they are claiming false injuries i was just wondering has anyone ever used one and if so do they work fast and i was also wondering how they find people

might be a stupit couple of questons but am just wondering

any help greatly appreciated

dudara

It's not really a PI (Personal Issue in this case, not a Private Investigator), so I am going to move this thread to Legal Discussion.

Mods: If this is an inappropriate place, then I apologise in advance.

dudara

kmick

Happens all the time. They take some pictures of the person who cant walk or lift heavy weights any more putting their shopping in the back of the car. If it ever goes to court it gets thrown out almost straight away. Golden pages to be honest for your local PI.

Searlait

I have worked in the legal system for many years, a private investigator is a good way to prove false allegations, I have seen some pretty fraudulent cases in my time!! The truth always comes out. A PI will track someone over a period of time, photograph or video them, ie if they are claiming a back injury record them taking their shopping from the car or such things.

I was once involved in a case where (and this took place in the public forum, it is quite above board for me to discuss it) someone was claiming as the result of a fatal accident in Ireland they were now the sole person with the financial burden of their grandmother in America, who was in a home, had vast medical expenses, etc. Through the PI it came to light that the grandmother had been dead for years, and the PI actually produced the death certificate in court!!

Your solicitor should be able to recommend somebody for you, or at least point you in the right direction.

sparkyjo

thanks guys thats very helpful i hate all this fraud stuff been on the bad end of 2 crashes and never claimed for anything but my car i just think what goes around comes around

Victor

Leave your solicitor sort this out.

Dummy

I think the insurance companies appoint a PI if there is the suggestion of bogus claim.

UrbanFox

I have had reason to see a number of these reports over the years.

Some of them were of no use.
Some were actually helpful to the plaintiff by effectively validating what he was claiming.
Some were very helpful and actually made the difference between winning a case that would have been otherwise lost.
Some of them were hilarious and partially inadmissable where the evidence was collected "dubiously" !

Remember that not everything reported to you by a P.I. may constitute admissable evidence or provide a proper foundation for cross examination.

If there is an insurance company backing you they should, as Dummy says, pay for the reports. Some P.I.s are very expensive and if the insurer is going to get potential benefit it is in their interests to stump up the funds as part of their investigation costs.

I would not pick a P.I. at random from the Golden Pages as some of them are not exactly what you might be hoping for. If you have an insurance company it is best left to them to pick one as they should know who to retain and who to avoid.

SMERSH

Ok, a few questions.

1. Under what law do these PIs operate under. Are they regulated?
2. Can they enter onto property to obtain evidence?
3. Are they subject to trespass and harrasment laws?

UrbanFox

SMERSH wrote: »

Ok, a few questions.

1. Under what law do these PIs operate under. Are they regulated?
2. Can they enter onto property to obtain evidence?
3. Are they subject to trespass and harrasment laws?

1. No idea if they are regulated. Any evidence they collect would need to conform with the laws of evidence if you are going to get it in at trial.

2. Yes, as long as they comply with the law and don't do it by unlawful means. I remember hearing of an instance years ago where a P.I. gained access under a pretext (a common piece of subterfuge), was then rumbled by the surveillance subject and thrown out. The claimant in question then threatened a legal action for breach of his Constitutional rights under article 40.5 [inviolability of his dwelling]. There were no proceedings but he tapped the defendants for extra damages to reflect the "intrusion" !

3. Yes, in exactly the same way as everyone else. They are not the police or customs & excise and possess no special powers although they may possess some good tricks !