§ 25-5-35 — Recovery Where Accident Occurs Outside State; Effect of Compensation Under Law of Another State, Etc., Upon Compensation Under This Article and Article 3 of Chapter, Etc.; Recovery Under This Article and Article 3 of Chapter for Accident Occurring Within State Where Employment Principally Localized Outside State

(a) As used in this section:
(1) The term “United States” includes only the states of the United States and the District of Columbia; and
(2) The term “state” includes any state of the United States or the District of Columbia.
(b) For the purposes of this section, a person’s employment is principally localized in this or another state when his employer has a place of business in this or such other state and he regularly works at or from such place of business, or if he is domiciled and spends a substantial part of his working time in the service of his employer in this or such other state.
(c) An employee whose duties require him to travel regularly in the service of his employer in this and one or more other states may, by written agreement with his employer, provide that his employment is principally localized in this or another such state; and, unless such other state refuses jurisdiction, such agreement shall be given effect under this section.
(d) If an employee, while working outside of this state, suffers an injury on account of which he or, in the event of his death, his dependents, would have been entitled to the benefits provided by this article and Article 3 of this chapter had such injury occurred within this state, such employee or, in the event of his death resulting from such injury, his dependents, shall be entitled to the benefits provided by this article and Article 3 of this chapter, provided that at the time of such injury:
(1) His employment was principally localized in this state;
(2) He was working under a contract of hire made in this state in employment not principally localized in any state;
(3) He was working under a contract of hire made in this state in employment principally localized in another state whose workers’ compensation law was not applicable to his employer; or
(4) He was working under a contract of hire made in this state for employment outside the United States.
(e) The payment or award of benefits under the workers’ compensation law of another state, territory, province, or foreign nation to an employee or his dependents otherwise entitled on account of such injury or death to the benefits of this article and Article 3 of this chapter shall not be a bar to a claim for benefits under this article and Article 3 of this chapter; provided that claim under this article is filed within the time limits set forth in Section 25-5-80. If compensation is paid or awarded under this article and Article 3 of this chapter:
(1) The medical and related benefits furnished or paid for by the employer under such other workers’ compensation law on account of such injury or death shall be credited against the medical and related benefits to which the employee would have been entitled under this article and Article 3 of this chapter had claim been made solely under this article and Article 3 of this chapter;
(2) The total amount of compensation paid or awarded the employee under such other workers’ compensation law shall be credited against the total amount of compensation which would have been due the employee under this article and Article 3 of this chapter, had claim been made solely under this article and Article 3 of this chapter; and
(3) The total amount of death benefits paid or awarded under such other workers’ compensation law shall be credited against the total amount of death benefits due under this article and Article 3 of this chapter.
(f) The recovery of any compensation benefits under the law of any other state shall bar any common-law or statutory right of action for damages that an employee or his dependents might otherwise have had against the employer or the officers, directors, or employees of the employer as a result of the injury or death on account of which such compensation benefits were paid.
(g) If, as a result of an employment principally localized in another state, an employee of an employer who would have been subject to this article or Article 3 of this chapter, had the contract of employment been entered into in this state for performance in this state, suffers injury or death as a result of an accident occurring in this state, compensation and medical, surgical, and hospital benefits on account of such injury or death may be recovered under this article or Article 3 of this chapter.

Legislative History

(Acts 1919, No. 245, p. 206; Code 1923, §7540; Code 1940, T. 26, §259; Acts 1975, 4th Ex. Sess., No. 86, p. 2729, §1.)