' Insurers to quickly put a private detective in at personal injury '

That multiple experts Sunday evening in the broadcast of the program the Monitor.

Searches are a serious invasion of privacy and may in addition, far-reaching financial consequences for victims. Rattling evidence for fraud can in extreme cases lead to cessation of payments and the recovery of advances.

De recherche shall especially in whiplash patients regularly surveys based on photos on Facebook. An accumulation of erroneous interpretations can then wrongly lead to suspicion of fraud and starting a fraud investigation.

Tennis Court the Monitor spoke with road accident victims with whiplash symptoms that were shadowed for weeks by private detective agencies. The insurers were wary of the seriousness of the complaints because they suspect during an investigation ' ' photos on Facebook pages and websites found, such as a whiplash patient on the tennis court.

It turned out that this picture all by leading to the crash was and that the insurer by an erroneous date at the photo on the wrong track.

Shadows without their knowledge the victims were observed in their living environment and during private and working visits. The private detectives gave themselves, inter alia, for hotel guests and stay four times in the bed and breakfast of one of the accident victims.

They got to hear that they were shadowed after the examination and were faced with the photo and film material that was created during the observations.

Snowball a victim has in advance of appearances and photos on Facebook must then confirm that there is fraud, says Arnold Roosendaal, lawyer at knowledge Institute TNO.

Roosendaal finds that insurers earlier contact with the victim for an explanation of ' suspicious ' photos. "This leaves a snowball effect then out, leaving a private detective is enabled", he says.

Distrust according to GP Kees Vos there is much suspicion among insurers of people with whiplash. Vos is promoted on neck and shoulder complaints and is Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the Foundation Netherlands Whiplash. He is very critical of the role of insurers.

Whiplash symptoms are difficult to demonstrate with pictures or a medical MRI scan, emphasises Vos. "And that is wrong," he says. "Insurers are taking advantage of that situation." According to Fox are many unjustified allegations of fraud. People with whiplash symptoms can often more than insurers think.

For example, that insurers pictures with sporting whiplash suspected patients in advance, according to Fox is unjustified.

Code of conduct fraud investigations are subject to the code of conduct personal research. According to these guidelines may insurers a personal research do if there is a suspicion of fraud.

However, the equipment must be proportionate and may observe only if there are no other ways to gather information. Investigations in the private sphere should always be reported to the victim.

How often fraud investigations take place is not registered. The Monitor is Sunday 29 may at 22.35 hours broadcast on NPO2.

By: NU.nl photo: REUTERS