Insurance carriers & claims adjusters
Document a claimant's actual activity when a claimed injury doesn't match the file — before an IME, mediation, or reserve decision.
Sub Rosa Surveillance
Sub rosa surveillance for insurance defense.
Sub rosa surveillance is covert, lawful observation of a claimant to document their real-world physical activity against the restrictions they have claimed. OnTrial runs it for insurance carriers, SIU units, and defense counsel — with licensed field operators and evidentiary-grade documentation.
Workers' compensation, long-term disability, premises liability, auto, professional liability. Fixed cost per engagement. Rush deployment available.
What it is
Document what a claimant actually does.
The gap between a claimed restriction and a documented activity is where a defense is won.
Sub rosa — Latin for “in secret” — is covert surveillance in which the subject is unaware they are being observed. In insurance defense it is used to test whether a claimant's real-world activity matches the limitations they have reported, capturing lawful video of them lifting, bending, driving, working, or otherwise doing what the claim says they cannot.
OnTrial pairs surveillance with an intelligence workup — background, social media, and geolocation — so operators deploy with precision. On a contested workers' compensation claim it is frequently run alongside an AOE/COE investigation.
Who this is for
Built for the people defending the claim.
SIU & fraud units
Corroborate red-flag indicators with dated, timestamped video evidence that supports a referral or an EUO.
Defense counsel & TPAs
Build a defensible record for motion practice and trial, with chain of custody and analyst verification on every deliverable.
Self-insured employers
Test compensability on a contested workers' compensation claim with lawful, discreet field documentation.
How OnTrial runs it
Intelligence-led surveillance, evidentiary by design.
Licensed field operators
Sub rosa engagements are run by licensed surveillance operators — veterans of the U.S. military and law enforcement — who document activity without contact or provocation.
Intelligence-led before deployment
Operators deploy after a background, social, and geolocation workup, so field hours are spent where activity is likely — not on speculation.
Evidentiary archive capture
Video and stills are timestamped and preserved for EUO, deposition, and trial. DeepMedia adds a social-media archive that survives later deletion.
Pattern of Life corroboration
Device-level movement and routine analysis corroborates or refutes claimed restrictions in disability and workers' compensation matters.
Typical engagements
When sub rosa is ordered.
- Activity-check surveillance on a disability or workers' compensation claimant
- Pre-IME and pre-mediation documentation of real-world activity
- SIU-referred fraud-claim surveillance
- Corroboration of claimed physical restrictions before an EUO
- Premises liability and auto-fraud field documentation
- Sub rosa paired with an AOE/COE investigation on a contested claim
Why the work holds up
Defensible from deployment through delivery.
Every hour of footage is timestamped and sourced. Every operator is licensed. Every finding is analyst-verified.
Every internal role at OnTrial is held by a veteran of the U.S. military, federal law enforcement, or state / municipal law enforcement — by mandate.
SOC 2 Type II, FCRA, GLBA, and CCPA compliant. AI-governance posture is documented — see AI Governance and Data Security.
OnTrial, LLC is licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety as a Private Investigations Company (#C31261501). Field operators are licensed to the standards of each jurisdiction where they operate.
FAQ
Sub rosa surveillance, explained.
- What is sub rosa surveillance?
- Sub rosa surveillance is covert, lawful observation of a claimant conducted to document their real-world physical activity against the restrictions they have claimed. “Sub rosa” means “in secret” — the subject is unaware — and it is used in insurance-defense and workers' compensation matters to test whether a claimed injury matches actual behavior. Findings are captured as timestamped video for evidentiary use.
- Is sub rosa surveillance legal?
- Yes, when conducted lawfully. OnTrial's operators are licensed and observe a claimant only in public view, without trespass, contact, pretext harassment, or provocation, and within the rules of the jurisdiction where they operate. The result is documentation that holds up in EUO, motion practice, and trial.
- When should a carrier order sub rosa surveillance?
- When a claimed injury doesn't match the file — inconsistent statements, social-media signals, a suspiciously prolonged recovery, or an upcoming IME, mediation, or reserve decision. Ordering before those milestones gives the carrier documented activity when it matters most.
- What does OnTrial deliver on a sub rosa engagement?
- A timestamped video record with an investigator's report, chain of custody, and analyst verification of every finding. Where warranted, the engagement is paired with background, social media, and geolocation workups so the surveillance is intelligence-led rather than speculative.
- How fast is sub rosa surveillance turnaround?
- Activity-check surveillance returns in 1–5 business days standard, with rush deployment available when a matter requires it. Every engagement is a fixed cost — no subscription or monthly fees.
Order sub rosa in minutes.
Create a free OnTrial account and order sub rosa surveillance directly from the platform. No subscription, no monthly fees.