When Your Former Employee Decides to Sue
You know that feeling when something just doesn’t add up?
That’s exactly where this business owner was. She runs an asset repossession company in Houston—tough work, physical demands, and she needed people who could actually do the job.
Her former employee? He’d become a problem.
First came the workers comp claim. Hairline fracture in his right arm. Said he couldn’t work. Weeks went by while he collected benefits and everyone else picked up his slack.
Then suddenly he wanted to come back. She did what any responsible employer would do—told him to get cleared by a doctor first. He did. Came back to work.
And immediately started asking for days off. Over and over. She had no choice but to let him go.
That should’ve been the end of it. Instead, he sued.
Claimed she owed him money. Claimed his injury was worse than anyone knew. Claimed wrongful termination when he “couldn’t work” due to his injury.
She knew better. You don’t go from too injured to work, to doctor-cleared, back to can’t work—not without something fishy going on.
She needed proof. Real documentation for when this hit court.
That’s when she called us.
What We Were Really Watching For
Workers comp fraud is tricky because these folks know what to say. They’ve got medical paperwork. They sound legitimate.
But surveillance doesn’t lie.
We needed to watch his daily life. How he moved. What he could actually do physically.
If that arm injury was as bad as he claimed in his lawsuit, we’d see it. Limited movement. Careful positioning. Visible struggles.
But if he was lying? That would show up too.
Day One: He Looked Pretty Fine to Us
Early September morning, we arrived at his residence.
Vehicle parked outside. Garage open. Someone was definitely home.
Around 11:00 AM, he came out.
His right arm? Completely unbandaged. No sling. No brace. Nothing.
He walked to his vehicle normally. Opened the door with his right arm. Got in without any hesitation or pain.
For someone claiming a serious injury that kept him from working? He looked perfectly fine.
We got it all on video. Time-stamped. Clear footage of him using that supposedly injured arm like nothing was wrong.
Just Another Normal Day
Over the next hour, we watched people come and go from his house.
Multiple visitors. Women with kids. People carrying stuff in and out.
And him? Moving around freely. Using both arms. No wincing. No careful movements. Nothing that looked like someone dealing with an injury.
One moment caught our attention: he helped a guest grab heavy items from a trunk and carried them inside.
If he was really injured, wouldn’t someone else in his household be doing the heavy lifting?
Nope. Everything he did looked completely normal.
Our surveillance was documenting a guy living his life without any limitations whatsoever.
Day Two: Even Rain Couldn’t Hide It
Next day, we were back. Houston weather threw rain at us, but we stayed put.
Around 1:00 PM, he left the house. We captured him getting into his vehicle and driving away.
His arm? Still working fine. Still no visible injury. Still moving naturally.
The rain made following him tough, so we waited at his place. He came back an hour later with what looked like his wife and kids.
Here’s what stood out: he got out and opened the back door to help a toddler. Used his right arm. No hesitation. Just normal parenting stuff.
The whole family went inside together.
If you’re too injured to work at a physical job but you’re helping toddlers in and out of cars? Yeah. That tells us everything.
Day Three: The Shopping Trip
Day three, late morning—he wasn’t home when we arrived. We waited.
Around 6:30 PM, his vehicle pulled up.
He got out carrying a shopping bag. Used his right arm to carry it. Walked inside without any sign of trouble.
Shopping. Carrying things. Living completely normally.
People came and went throughout the evening. He moved around his property like someone with zero limitations.
No favoring one arm. No careful movements. Nothing suggesting he couldn’t work.
Day Four: Wait, He’s Working Somewhere Else?
This is where it got really interesting.
The business owner had mentioned something suspicious—his newer vehicle got repossessed. And people had seen him driving an older model around town.
Our research showed that vehicle had been spotted multiple times at a specific business location in Houston.
Early morning, we confirmed his vehicle was at his house around 4:30 AM.
Then around 7:45 AM, he left.
We followed. He drove straight to a business and arrived around 8:20 AM—right when other employees were showing up.
He was going to work. Not at his old job. At a different company.
Here’s the best part: that location belonged to one of the business owner’s competitors. In the same repo industry. Doing the same physical work he claimed he couldn’t do anymore.
He was working. Using his supposedly injured arm. At the exact type of job he said his injury prevented him from doing.
Our surveillance just destroyed his entire lawsuit.
What This Meant for the Business Owner
Let’s be clear about what we caught:
He claimed a hairline fracture prevented him from working. But we documented him:
- Using his right arm freely without any support
- Carrying bags and doing normal daily stuff
- Helping kids in and out of vehicles
- Driving without difficulty
- Working at a competitor’s company doing the same physical job
He wasn’t injured. Or if he had been, he’d recovered completely and was hiding it to keep his lawsuit alive.
He got cleared by a doctor. Came back to work. Started requesting constant time off. Got fired for attendance issues.
Then sued, claiming the injury was the problem.
But our surveillance proved the injury wasn’t limiting him at all. He was working elsewhere in the same industry.
His lawsuit didn’t stand a chance.
Why Surveillance Changes Everything
Here’s what business owners don’t always realize: people committing fraud are counting on you not having proof.
They’ve got their story rehearsed. Medical paperwork. They know what to say.
But surveillance catches what they can’t fake—their actual life.
You can rehearse for doctor visits. Be careful on social media. Tell convincing stories in depositions.
But you can’t fake your entire life 24/7. Eventually you’ve got to live normally. Function. Do regular things.
That’s when surveillance captures the truth.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, workers comp fraud costs billions annually. Surveillance is one of the most effective tools for documenting fraudulent claims and defending against baseless lawsuits.
This business owner did the smart thing. When the story didn’t add up, she got professionals involved.
What You Need to Know If This Is Happening to You
Sound familiar? Former employee claiming an injury that doesn’t quite make sense? Lawsuit that feels wrong?
Here’s what this case should teach you:
Patterns matter more than single moments. Multiple days of footage showing normal arm use? Undeniable.
People can’t maintain fraud 24/7. He might’ve been careful in official settings. But at home, living his life? He couldn’t keep up the act.
Working elsewhere is the smoking gun. Finding out he was doing the same job at a competitor? That destroyed any credibility he had.
Professional documentation holds up. Time-stamped video and licensed investigator testimony carry real weight in legal proceedings.
Act early. The business owner hired us right away. That gave her leverage to fight with strong evidence instead of scrambling later.
Check out our surveillance investigation services to see how we help business owners defend themselves.
Why These Cases Matter to Us
Look, we get it. Workers comp exists for good reasons. Real injuries happen. People deserve support when they’re legitimately hurt.
But fraud? Fraud hurts everyone.
It hurts business owners trying to run legitimate companies. Drives up insurance costs. Makes it harder for people with real injuries to get help.
And it hurts other employees who pick up the slack for someone collecting benefits while perfectly capable of working.
This business owner did everything right. Paid workers comp when he first claimed injury. Required doctor clearance before he returned. Gave him his job back when cleared.
When attendance became a problem and she let him go? That was legitimate, not discrimination.
His lawsuit was an attempt to get money he didn’t deserve. Our surveillance proved the injury wasn’t limiting him at all.
Our documentation gave her exactly what she needed. Clear evidence. Undeniable footage. Professional testimony.
That’s why we do this work. Because truth matters. Because fraud shouldn’t win.
If This Sounds Like Your Situation
You already know something’s off, don’t you?
The story doesn’t add up. The injury claim that seemed legitimate now feels suspicious. The lawsuit that came out of nowhere. The demands for money when you know you did everything right.
You’re not imagining it.
Professional surveillance can document what’s really happening. We watch daily routines. Capture actual functioning. Document whether they’re working elsewhere or living without the limitations they claim.
That evidence can be the difference between settling fraudulently and fighting with confidence.
We work throughout Houston, Dallas, Austin, and across Texas. We’ve helped dozens of business owners defend against fraudulent workers comp claims and baseless lawsuits.
Don’t let someone take advantage because they think you won’t fight back.
This business owner called us when the lawsuit didn’t make sense. We gave her video proof his claims were fraudulent.
We can do the same for you.
Call Now: 832-404-3400
Email: getanswers@piterrance.com
Visit: www.piterrance.com
We’re available 24/7. Your business and your reputation matter.
Terrance Private Investigator & Associates—Exposing fraud through professional surveillance. Because honest business owners deserve protection from dishonest claims.
