For carriers, TPAs, self-insured employers and defense counsel
Insurance Investigations in Colorado for Claims That Need Verified Facts
Delator Group conducts insurance investigations in Colorado for claims professionals and defense counsel: surveillance, recorded statements, scene documentation, background research and witness locates. Each assignment is scoped in writing, field time is billed at $100 per hour, and reports separate what was observed from what was reported, so a claim decision or a hearing rests on verified facts.
- Claimant activity checks and surveillance
- Recorded statements and witness locates
- Scene and road-condition documentation
- $100/hrStandard investigative rate
- $102Basic remote background check
- WrittenScope and price before work starts
- 5.0Google rating (18 reviews)
Quick answer
What do insurance investigations in Colorado involve?
They gather facts a claim file is missing: whether a claimant's activity matches the reported injury, how a collision happened, who witnessed it, and whether the claimant has a pattern of prior claims. Colorado expects insurers to maintain anti-fraud plans that use fraud investigators. Activity checks are often the first step, through our Colorado insurance claim surveillance.
01The law
The Anti-Fraud Framework Behind Insurance Investigations in Colorado
Colorado's insurance code treats fraud as a shared responsibility. Under C.R.S. § 10-1-128, a fraudulent insurance act generally means knowingly presenting false material information to an insurer with intent to defraud, including false medical records and bills. Insurers generally must maintain an anti-fraud plan that includes hiring or contracting for fraud investigators, must report suspected fraud, and receive immunity for good-faith reporting. Outside investigators therefore fill a role the statute anticipates, and our Colorado statewide investigations hub explains how we staff it.
The criminal side sits in C.R.S. § 18-5-211. False or withheld material information in an insurance application is generally a class 2 misdemeanor, while presenting false claims and related conduct is generally treated as a felony, and staged or fake vehicle accidents are listed among the prohibited acts. Workers' compensation has its own statute: under § 8-43-402, a knowing material false statement to obtain benefits is generally a class 6 felony and forfeits the right to compensation. We gather facts; prosecutors and regulators decide charges. Repeat schemes are scoped as Colorado scam investigations.
02Activity checks
Claimant Activity Checks and Surveillance
Most claim investigations begin with a low-cost activity check: confirming the claimant's address, vehicles, apparent routine and any visible signs of work. If the check suggests activity inconsistent with the file, focused surveillance follows on the days most likely to show it. Colorado's outdoor culture shapes that planning, because a claimant with a back injury who skis, hunts or hauls a trailer to a reservoir on weekends leaves observable facts. Comp files run as workers' compensation surveillance in Colorado.
Accuracy protects everyone. We film only what is visible from public places or with permission, never enter private property, and record every gap in observation. A report that shows a claimant resting for six hours and lifting for ten minutes says exactly that. Claimants who travel for treatment or recreation can be followed across state lines through our out-of-state surveillance coverage, and employees on non-occupational leave are handled through Colorado employee surveillance.
Mountain and resort claims need extra planning. Traction and chain laws generally apply on the I-70 corridor from September through May, and a claimant who lives past a mountain pass may be reachable only on certain days in winter. We build that into the estimate, report weather delays promptly, and coordinate high-country files with our Summit County service team when papers must follow.
03Auto and liability
Auto, Premises and Liability Claim Investigation
Colorado collisions have their own fact patterns. On the I-70 mountain corridor, the Passenger Vehicle Traction Law generally requires adequate tires or traction devices when it is in effect, and commercial vehicles over 16,000 pounds must carry chains on listed highways. Whether a driver complied can matter to fault. We photograph the scene at comparable times and conditions, identify cameras and request preservation through the carrier or counsel, and find witnesses through hit-and-run and witness tracing.
Premises claims ask what a property owner knew and when. We document lighting, signage, snow and ice conditions and maintenance practices, interview employees and other visitors, and look for prior incidents in public records. Repair-related disputes are a separate line: inflated estimates, unperformed work and parts swaps are scoped as auto shop damage investigations, and dealer-related misrepresentation as car dealer scam investigations.
- Scene photographs at comparable conditions
- Traction-law and chain-law context for mountain crashes
- Camera canvass and preservation requests
- Witness and driver locates
04Statements
Recorded Statements, Background and Prior Claims
Recorded statements are a core claims tool. Colorado generally follows one-party consent under C.R.S. § 18-9-304, so an investigator who takes part in a conversation can usually record it, but we always state on the recording that it is being recorded and obtain the witness's agreement. Statements are transcribed or summarized as the carrier prefers, with date, time and location. Witnesses who have moved are found first through a Colorado skip trace for claims.
Background research looks for patterns: prior lawsuits, prior injuries described in court records, businesses the claimant owns, professional or occupational licenses held, and public social media. Remote background checks cost $102 for the basic version and $300 for a deep dive. Every item is tied to a source and verified before it reaches the file, and we respect federal limits on consumer reports. Life and disability files that require deeper research can be paired with our overdose death inquiries when toxicology is at issue.
05Other lines
Theft, Property and Death Claim Investigations
Theft claims turn on timeline and access. For a reported stolen vehicle we document the last known use, who held keys, where the vehicle was parked, nearby cameras and whether it surfaced on sale sites, work described on our stolen vehicle investigations page. Equipment and contents claims follow the same logic. We are not cause-and-origin engineers; when a fire or structural question arises, we support the carrier's expert with interviews and records.
Death claims require care. When a policy's contestability period, an exclusion or the manner of death is in question, we interview family, coworkers and first responders through proper channels, gather public records and reconstruct the final days. Families are treated with respect throughout. Those files are scoped as suicide and manner-of-death investigations, and liability claims arising from a death are supported through our wrongful death investigations in Colorado.
06Litigation
Support for Insurance Defense Counsel and Hearings
When a claim becomes a lawsuit or a contested workers' compensation hearing, the investigation must be ready for cross-examination. Our reports keep original video with native timestamps, logs to the minute, and statements with the circumstances of recording. The investigator who did the work can testify about how evidence was gathered. Defense firms engage us through our services for Colorado attorneys, and a short claims investigation consultation can decide whether further work is worth the cost.
Litigation support also means locating and serving people. Witnesses must be subpoenaed with the required lead time and mileage tendered under C.R.C.P. 45, and defendants in subrogation actions must be served within the rule's deadlines. Our process service division coordinates delivery anywhere in Colorado, and subrogation recovery is helped by an asset check before subrogation suit so carriers know whether a judgment is collectible.
07Prevention
Fraud Prevention for Colorado Carriers and Employers
Investigation after the fact is expensive. Self-insured employers and smaller carriers often ask how claims fraud got through, and the answer is usually a process gap: return-to-work offers that were never made, light-duty restrictions nobody checked, or vendor invoices nobody verified. A structured fraud risk audit for Colorado employers looks at those controls and ranks fixes by impact. Unannounced testing of claims or vendor controls can be ordered as a Colorado shock audit.
Our firm holds a Tennessee private investigation license, is headquartered in Nashville and is led by people with military and federal law enforcement careers. Colorado's state investigator license ended in 2020, so carriers should vet vendors on method, insurance and reporting standards rather than on a Colorado credential that no longer exists. We have no Colorado office; we assign investigators to the county where the claimant or loss is located.
Services
Insurance Investigation Services in Colorado
- Workers' comp surveillanceActivity checks and focused shifts that compare a claimant's daily activity with work restrictions, documented for adjusters and hearing counsel.Learn more
- Claim surveillancePublic-view observation of auto, liability and disability claimants across Colorado, with original video and a minute-by-minute log of everything observed and every gap.Learn more
- Stolen vehicle claimsTimeline, key-holder, camera and sale-listing research to test the facts behind a reported vehicle theft before the claim is paid.Learn more
- Auto repair claimsInvestigation of repair shops that inflate estimates, bill for unperformed work or substitute parts on vehicles covered by a claim.Learn more
- Death claim investigationRespectful inquiry into the circumstances of a death when manner of death, an exclusion or contestability affects a life or accident policy.Learn more
- Witness and claimant locatesDatabase traces and field confirmation for claimants and witnesses who stopped responding, ready for a recorded statement or a subpoena.Learn more
- Hit-and-run tracingDriver and vehicle tracing from partial plates, vehicle descriptions and camera canvasses, supporting a carrier's uninsured motorist and subrogation decisions after a crash.Learn more
- Fraud ring analysisCross-claim research for repeated addresses, providers, representatives and participants that suggest organized staged accidents or medical billing schemes in Colorado.Learn more
- Fraud risk auditsReview of claims handling, return-to-work and vendor controls for self-insured employers, with findings ranked by risk and practical fixes listed for each.Learn more
How it works
How a Colorado Claims Investigation Runs
- 01
Referral review
We review the referral, the claim history and the red flags, then agree with the adjuster or counsel on the specific questions the investigation must answer.
- 02
Written scope and budget
You receive a scope with phases, hours and travel in writing. Activity checks usually come first so surveillance hours are spent only when they are justified.
- 03
Investigation
Investigators carry out activity checks, surveillance, recorded statements, scene work and records research, logging every observation, contact and source with the date and the exact time.
- 04
Report and testimony
You receive a report with original video, statements and named sources, separating observation from inference, and the investigator who did the work remains available for hearings, depositions or trial.
Compare
Common Colorado Claim Investigations and Pricing Basis
| Claim type | Typical first step | Pricing basis |
|---|---|---|
| Workers' compensation | Activity check, then targeted surveillance | $100 per hour, scope in writing |
| Auto liability | Scene documentation and witness canvass | $100 per hour, scope in writing |
| Disability | Background research and activity check | $102 or $300 check, then hourly |
| Vehicle theft | Timeline and key-holder interviews | $100 per hour, scope in writing |
| Suspected ring | Cross-claim records analysis | Quoted in writing by scope |
Statewide coverage
Insurance Investigation Coverage in Colorado
Most claim volume sits on the Front Range, where our Westminster claims investigators and Lakewood investigators cover the north and west metro. El Paso County claims, including those involving military families near Fort Carson and Peterson, are handled with our Colorado Springs claims team. Mountain and resort claims along I-70 and in Summit, Eagle and Gunnison counties are planned around weather, and Western Slope and southwest files are scheduled with travel quoted in writing. Northern Colorado claims from Fort Collins to Loveland run through our Loveland claims investigators, with oil and gas country files reaching Weld County.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Are Colorado insurers required to investigate fraud?
Under C.R.S. § 10-1-128, insurers generally must maintain an anti-fraud plan that includes hiring or contracting for fraud investigators, and must report suspected fraudulent insurance acts to law enforcement and regulators. Good-faith reporting is generally protected. The details of each carrier's plan are set internally, and counsel can advise on specific obligations.
Is surveillance of a Colorado workers' comp claimant legal?
Generally yes, when it is limited to what is visible from public places or with permission. Investigators cannot trespass, record private conversations they are not part of, or conduct surveillance in a way that could amount to stalking. We plan every assignment around those limits, which our Colorado investigator legal limits guide explains.
How does Colorado punish workers' compensation fraud?
Under C.R.S. § 8-43-402, knowingly making a material false statement or misrepresentation to obtain workers' compensation benefits is generally a class 6 felony, and the person forfeits all right to compensation. Whether conduct meets that standard is for prosecutors and the courts. Our job is to document facts accurately, including facts that support the claimant. Comp assignments are described on our workers' comp claimant surveillance page.
What do insurance investigations in Colorado cost?
Field work, surveillance and statements are billed at $100 per hour, with travel quoted in writing. Background checks run $102 for a basic search or $300 for a deep dive. Each assignment is scoped before work begins, and activity checks usually come first to avoid unnecessary surveillance hours. See our published Colorado rates.
Can your investigators take recorded statements in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado generally allows a participant to record a conversation under its one-party consent rule, and our investigators are participants in the statements they take. We still announce the recording and obtain the witness's agreement on tape, which avoids later disputes. Statements are delivered as audio with a summary or transcript, as the carrier prefers.
Do you investigate staged accidents in Colorado?
Yes. Staged or fake vehicle accidents are listed among the prohibited acts in Colorado's insurance fraud statute, C.R.S. § 18-5-211. We look for repeated participants, addresses, vehicles, providers and representatives across claims, interview witnesses and document scenes. Findings go to the carrier's SIU or counsel, who decide on referral to law enforcement or regulators.
Can you follow a claimant who travels out of Colorado?
Yes, when the scope covers it. A claimant may drive to Wyoming, Utah or New Mexico for recreation or treatment, and our investigators can maintain continuous coverage across the state line with one log. Travel is approved in writing in advance. We also work directly in several neighboring states, as our Wyoming investigations coverage describes.
Does Delator Group need a Colorado license for insurance investigations?
Colorado has not issued state licenses to private investigators since its program ended after the 2020 veto of HB20-1207. Delator Group is a licensed Tennessee private investigation firm and applies Tennessee's standard to every Colorado file. We confirm any local business-license requirements before field work, and our Colorado vendor vetting guide suggests what carriers should ask.
Will you testify at a workers' comp hearing or trial?
Yes, when counsel calls us. The investigator who conducted the surveillance or took the statement can explain how the evidence was gathered, how video was handled and what the log shows. We prepare investigators for that role, keep raw footage unedited, and deliver an index so counsel can find key moments quickly.
How quickly can a Colorado claim investigation begin?
We give a realistic start date with the written scope rather than a promise. Front Range activity checks are usually easiest to schedule, while mountain, plains and Western Slope files depend on travel and, in winter, road conditions. If a deposition, hearing or recorded statement deadline is approaching, include it in the referral so the plan fits.
Every service
Investigations available in Colorado
Every service below is available in Colorado and across Colorado, run by the same Delator Group leadership that manages our Tennessee casework. Choose a service to read how it works in Colorado.
Core services
Infidelity
Surveillance
Background checks
Corporate
Audits
Locates
Sensitive matters
Service areas
Private investigators across Colorado
Largest cities
More communities
Process serving
Delator Group is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Work in Colorado is managed by Delator Group leadership; Photography: Holly Mandarich / Unsplash · Jamie Gilluly / Unsplash · Caleb Jack / Unsplash. Last reviewed .
Delator Group Private Investigators
Refer a Colorado Claim to Delator Leadership
Send the claim summary, red flags and any deadlines. Leadership will return a written scope and budget, starting with the least expensive step that can answer your question, before any field work begins.
Delator Group Private Investigators · Nashville headquarters · Tennessee, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, Alaska and Mississippi
