Your Civil Case May Require a Private Investigator

• November 06, 2006
• by PInow Staff

Anyone involved in a civil suit likely has an attorney to represent them legally. More and more plaintiffs, though, are finding that consulting with a civil investigator as well as an attorney can produce better legal results.

In October 2006, 3,000 pounds of pseudoephedrine (a substance used to make the illicit and very addictive drug methamphetamine) were sized in a Kearny, New Jersey warehouse by federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents. The tip-off that the drug was there came from civil investigators. In October 2006, as well, civil investigations into alleged price fixing by airlines led to the resignation of two high-level directors at airlines.

The truth is, civil investigators get results and often work closely with criminal investigators to uncover fraud, harassment, and other criminal activity. Attorneys often use civil investigators to gather information and evidence needed to win civil cases. However, an increasing number of plaintiffs are hiring civil investigators on their own. By hiring both an investigator and attorney, some plaintiffs are finding they can enjoy better results as well as more control over their cases. For example, plaintiffs involved in a drawn-out sexual harassment lawsuit against Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office were able to gather evidence of inappropriate language through civil investigation.

There are a number of civil cases that can be helped along with a civil investigation:

• Child custody and recovery cases. In these cases, civil investigators can uncover evidence of child abuse or neglect that can prove whether one spouse should be entrusted with the children more. Asset searches in these cases can reveal whether one spouse has hidden assets that can be used to support the children.
  
  
• Corporate cases. In these cases, civil investigators can use due diligence investigations, asset searches, surveillance, witness location, and computer investigations to uncover the sometimes complicated details of company management. These investigations can be a big help for companies facing due diligence, fraud, or other lawsuit cases. Businesses affected by theft of trade secrets or trademark infringement can also benefit from civil investigators, who can find the evidence needed to start a lawsuit that can mean compensation for businesses.
  
  
• Marital infidelity cases. Civil investigators can gather evidence of infidelity that can help in civil suits and lawsuits in court.
  
  
• Missing person's cases. Civil investigators can use skip tracing and missing person's investigations to locate people who are lost. In cases where foul play is suspected, investigators can gather the evidence that may be needed in a criminal investigation.
  
  
• Personal injury cases. For anyone injured by a defective product or accident, civil investigators can be a big help. They can uncover evidence of neglect or recklessness, and this can help victims get compensation for their medical bills and other costs associated with the personal injury.
  
  
• Workers compensation cases. Civil investigators can use surveillance and other methods to gather evidence of workers compensation fraud for companies who may be unwittingly paying benefits to workers who are, in fact, fit to work. For individual workers, civil investigators can gather evidence of incomplete compensation pay or other problems.

Anyone involved in a civil suit should speak to their attorney to find out what steps are being taken to gather evidence for the case. Plaintiffs may want to spend extra time talking to an investigator on their own if they need additional evidence or worry about the quality of evidence gathered by the attorneys own investigative team.

Finding a civil investigator to help in these cases is not difficult. Anyone can find a qualified investigator in their area through the PInow.com Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators. The PInow.com Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators offers the facts and listings that can help anyone find an experienced investigator fast.

About PInow.com

PInow.com (http://www.pinow.com/) is a Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators that enables law firms, corporations, and the general public to find investigators anywhere. PInow.com strives to be the most trusted resource on the web to locate qualified investigators. All investigators listed on PInow.com are pre-screened and must meet specific listing requirements.

PInow.com was developed by the team that brought you the ServeNow.com Process Servers Directory (http://www.serve-now.com/).

Visit PInow.com to find investigators who can help with all your investigation needs.