INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you cannot reach an agreement on benefits with your employer and the workers' compensation insurance company, you may have to file a lawsuit.  An experienced workers' compensation attorney knows all the ins and outs of your state's workers' compensation law, and will best be able to protect your rights. Since workers' compensation attorneys work on contingency, your ability to afford attorney's fees should not be a consideration. Read other workers' compensation cases that have been decided recently in your state, and talk to your attorney about how those opinions affect your case. Your employer and the insurance company have their own viewpoint on what happened, how you were injured, and how extensive your disability is. Understanding the opposing arguments can help you focus your case on the issues that are in dispute. For example, your employer may not deny that you were injured and sustained serious disability, but may contend that the injury did not occur while you were at work. This is especially important in chronic or stress-related injuries that occur over time rather than as a result of a single traumatic incident. Once you've determined what the key issues will be at trial, you know where you need to focus your search for evidence.  Typically your most effective and powerful witnesses will be medical professionals who can testify to the extent of your injuries and co-workers who saw you working or saw the specific incident that gave rise to the injury. If your state law gives you subpoena power, use the subpoena to better guarantee the attendance of witnesses at trial. If the employer or insurance company required you to get an independent medical examination, they typically sent you to a doctor who has a reputation for being more friendly to the interests of employers and insurers. In addition to your regular doctors, your attorney may send you to have another independent medical exam. This IME typically would be given by a doctor with a reputation for being more sensitive to claims of employees.

SUMMARY: Hire an attorney. Research prior decisions. Analyze the arguments from the other side. Gather relevant evidence. Have another IME.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You do not have to have everything in common with someone to become friends, but having a few things in common will help you to find things to talk about and make spending time together more fun. It may also make it easier to bond with the person. Try to search out people who share some of your interests.  Try talking to people who share your hobbies, such as other members of your kickboxing class or members of a book club you belong to. Talk to people that you meet at events, such as at a poetry slam, at a protest, or at a 5K race. Join a Meetup group on Meetup.com to find people who share your interests. There are meetups for board games, hiking, knitting, and other special interests. Good friends will be able to support you without judging you. Even if they don't agree with everything you do, they'll still show they care by listening to you, showing compassion, and staying with you through good and bad times. A friend who doesn't listen well will change the subject, try to one-up you, or tell you how to fix your problems. They won't really care about what you're saying and might be more interested in giving you advice or getting you to listen to their problems. True friends will be curious about what's going on in your life. They'll ask how you're doing and care to hear the answer. In your daily interactions, notice people who ask about your opinions and feelings. If you're having trouble determining if anyone in your life is really interested in you, ask yourself if they:  Actively talk with you to get to know you better. Go beyond making small talk about school, work, or the weather. Avoid distractions when they're with you, like looking at their phone. Good friends will let you freely express yourself without judging. Pay attention to current friends and acquaintances. Notice how they treat you and other people.  If you identify as gay, a good friend is someone who will be accepting of your sexuality. They'll ask you questions, understand the coming out process is difficult, won't put pressure on you, and won't call you names. They'll defend you if anyone makes fun of your identity.  If you don't come from a wealthy background, a real friend will understand that friendship is about more than status, labels, and brands. They'll accept you for your style or where you live. They won't hold your background against you, pity you, or make fun of where you come from. Good friends will consistently be there for you when you need them. In general, they'll make you feel comfortable around them and feel like you're a valuable part of their life. Look for people who follow-through on their promises or plans with you.  Avoid people who tend to share secrets or gossip. Chances are you won't feel safe sharing close, personal information with them, which you should be able to do as a friend. You might want to avoid them.  Stay away from people who pressure you into doing things you don't want to do. You won't be able to build trust or feel safe with people who don't have respect for your values. Good friends for you will be those who are in general fun to be around, self-confident, and happy. Everyone has their down days, but try to surround yourself with people who can recognize the humor in life and keep the bad things in perspective for you. Stay away from people who constantly complain about their problems or try to pull you down into their drama.

SUMMARY:
Get to know people who share your interests. Look for caring people. Find people who are genuinely interested. Notice people who are accepting. Find people who value loyalty and safety. Find people who are positive.