Malingering

What Does Malingering Mean?

Malingering refers to faking an injury or illness, often for the purposes of collecting disability benefits. If an insurance company believes that a person has been malingering, they may sue them to try to recoup the benefits they have paid out. To win such a lawsuit, the insurance company must successfully prove that the person is faking.

Insuranceopedia Explains Malingering

There are several ways to prove a policyholder has been malingering. The malingerer may, for instance, have posted photos of themselves waterskiing on social medial while they claimed to be too injured to work. There are many different injuries and illnesses that a person may attempt to fake while malingering. Anything from heart disease to lower back pain can be faked. In some cases, it may be difficult for an insurance company to prove a person is malingering, even if it strongly believes the person is.