I was recently injured in my maritime Gulf Coast job. I heard that my offshore company might secretly videotape me. Is this true? How can I know if it is happening to me?

A: In short, yes, this is true, and you may never know if it has happened to you. As maritime lawyers in Houston, Texas, we see many notorious tricks your Gulf Coast maritime company may play on you after an offshore injury. But none is as devious as secret videotaping. Here is how it works:

If you are seriously injured working at your maritime job, there is a good chance that you may file a lawsuit against your employer. Knowing this, your company may choose to hire a private investigator to secretly videotape you, often shortly after you are injured.

The investigator will typically go to your house to videotape you in your yard, getting into your car, etc. They take whatever footage they can capture. These investigators will even follow you to the store or when you are with your family and friends. They may be hiding in their cars, or in some other secret place, all with the goal of weakening your injury case.

Your company does this to protect itself from a claim you may make in the future. The investigator’s goal is to catch you doing something that makes it look like you are not as injured as you may claim to be. Used cleverly, these tapes can heavily damage your claim.

When the investigator turns in the tape to the company, the company will examine it closely. If they feel that any part of it might discredit your claim, they will disclose it. This means they will formally make it evidence and give it to their lawyers so it can be used against you.

If the tape does not show anything they might be able to use in court, they will not disclose it. You may never know of its existence, so you can’t use it to help yourself. If your company is known, or rumored, to treat its injured workers unfairly, this trick is more likely to happen to you.

If you suspect that your company will do almost anything to fight your claim, you will need expert maritime legal counsel. Vujasinovic & Beckcom, maritime lawyers in Houston, Texas, will fight to protect you. We see these tricks as unfair and underhanded. Call us toll-free today at 877-724-7800 to schedule a free consultation. Let’s talk.