"Disabled" Claimant Found to be Working - Benefit Discontinued:
Many of our Life and Health clientele have found it useful to coordinate surveillance in conjunction with a scheduled claimant interview.

Our Head Office was presented with an assignment involving a claimant on a Long-Term Disability Claim who was unable to return to her sedentary office administration position. Several attempts were made to arrange a scheduled visit and interview with the claimant; however, the claimant was unavailable and failed to return repeated messages. Surveillance was promptly undertaken and revealed that the claimant was involved in a home-based ceramic novelty enterprise. The claimant made ceramic gifts and small novelty items in the garage of her home. During surveillance, the claimant was physically involved in the production of each item inside her garage during a warm summer week. We were permitted to lawfully document this activity because the claimant left her garage door open in full view of all pedestrians. In total, four consecutive weekday surveillances were completed each demonstrating the claimant involved in home-based self-employment activities. Further discreet and tactful inquiries led us to develop the name of the claimant's business and the locations where she sold her products. Before co-ordinating additional surveillance at these points of sale, the client instructed us to continue with our efforts to arrange a claimant interview visit.

During our renewed efforts to interview the claimant, we were successful in meeting with the claimant at her residence. During the interview, the claimant presented herself as a lethargic, pain focused individual. She even went so far as to admit to her "hobby" of ceramic making; nevertheless, she stated that she was unable to continue this activity post-disability. Of her own volition, the claimant provided the interviewer a view of her garage where she claimed that she used to be able to make her items. Much to our surprise, the interior of the garage was vacant of all the recent materials, supplies and finished products we had seen stored there during surveillance conducted the week prior.

Subsequent surveillance illustrated the claimant selling her products at local flea markets and fairs. Based on the surveillance and claimant interview, the adjudicator discontinued benefits.

DNA Solves Paternity Issue:
A successful middle-aged investment broker in Toronto retained MJM to assist in his defence of a paternity claim made against him, alleging that he was the father of a young teenager. The claims for compensation made in the Plaintiff's Statement of Claim confirmed that our client was facing considerable expenses. It was agreed that the best tact in this case was to arrange for surveillance of the young teenager to collect a DNA sample. This required two bouts of surveillance that eventually allowed us to retrieve a beverage can disgarded by the teenager. DNA evidence was then found on this can. A voluntary cheek swab was taken from our client and compared with the DNA sample from the soda pop can. It was determined that our client was not the father of this teenage boy. Our involvement saved the client considerable sums of money and respect with his family and business circles.