The insurance company — the adversary questions.

Generally you are not required to give one on demand — and early, while hurt, medicated, or undiagnosed, it's risky: casual answers become permanent evidence. Offer the basics in writing instead, and if a statement becomes truly necessary (some states/situations), prepare first and consider having counsel present. Politely declining is a sentence: "I'd prefer to provide information in writing."

Assume yes in any contested or expensive claim — surveillance of public activity is legal and routine (parking lots, your yard, the gym), and social media is checked as a matter of course. The defense isn't paranoia; it's consistency: never exaggerate, follow restrictions everywhere (not just at work), and let your online life match your reported limitations. Honest claims have nothing to film.

No. Not the accident, not the frustration, not the vacation photos mid-claim. Posts are discoverable, screenshots are forever, and "context" never travels with them. Locking accounts helps but doesn't immunize (courts can order production). The rule that never fails: post nothing you wouldn't hand the adjuster directly.

Three flags: blanket medical releases (authorizing your entire lifetime history — sign narrow, injury-relevant releases instead), anything titled settlement, release, or agreement (one signature can end rights forever — see Before You Sign), and in specific states, documents with hidden clocks (Massachusetts pay-without-prejudice extensions; Colorado admissions). Claim forms, honest questionnaires, and mileage logs are normal to sign.

The adjuster can be genuinely pleasant and still professionally motivated to close your claim cheaply — both things are true at once. On fees: comp attorneys work on capped contingencies (often 10–25% by state, judge-approved), studies repeatedly show represented claims settle for substantially more even net of fees, and in some states (Massachusetts, Alaska, Oregon patterns) insurers pay some of your fee in successful disputes. A free consultation costs the insurer's argument nothing but its persuasiveness.

A nurse case manager coordinates care — and reports to the payer. Many are helpful with scheduling and authorizations; the risk is steering (toward quick releases, away from specialists) and presence in your private medical space. Use the help, keep exam-room privacy, and put concerns in writing. You're allowed to be courteous and boundaried simultaneously.

Asking is normal; unlimited entitlement is not. Injury-relevant history is fair game — the argument is about scope and fishing expeditions through decades of unrelated records. Sign releases limited by body part and time frame where your state allows, and treat blanket-release pushback as a normal, professional move (a lawyer letter does this in one paragraph).

You can request one from the carrier for genuine mistreatment (documented rudeness, chronic nonresponse), though granting it is their call. More productive levers: put everything in writing (creates accountability), copy your state agency on persistent problems (agencies police carrier conduct), and remember several states penalize unreasonable delay independently of who the adjuster is.

An evaluation by a doctor the insurer selects and pays — "independent" describes the format (not treating you), not the perspective. Some IME doctors are scrupulously fair; the incentive structure is what it is. Attend, be honest in both directions, document the exam's length and scope, and counter unfavorable reports with your treating doctor's rebuttal and, where available, neutral-exam processes (QME, DIME, designated doctors).

Switch channels and create a record: one concise email/letter stating what's pending and asking for response by a date; then your state agency's claims-assistance line (this is literally their job — and carriers respond to agency inquiries with remarkable speed); then, if benefits are actually stopped, the formal dispute process with its deadlines. Silence is a tactic; paper defeats it.