West Virginia Code 23-2-1c – Extraterritorial coverage; approval and change of agreements
(a) Whenever there is a possibility of conflict with respect to the application of workers’ compensation laws because the contract of employment is entered into and all or some portion of the work is performed or is to be performed in a state or states other than this state, the employer and the employee may agree to be bound by the laws of this state or by the laws of any other state in which all or some portion of the work of the employee is to be performed: Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed as to require an agreement in those instances where §23-2-1(b)(3) or §23-2-1a(a)(1) of this code are applicable. If the parties agree to be bound by the laws of this state, an employee injured within the terms and provisions of this chapter is entitled to benefits under this chapter regardless of the situs of the injury or exposure to occupational pneumoconiosis or other occupational disease, and the rights of the employee and his or her dependents under the laws of this state shall be the exclusive remedy against the employer on account of injury, disease, or death in the course of and as a result of the employment.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 23-2-1c
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(b) If the parties agree to be bound by the laws of another state and the employer has complied with the laws of that state, the rights of the employee and his or her dependents under the laws of that state shall be the exclusive remedy against the employer on account of injury, disease, or death in the course of and as a result of the employment without regard to the situs of the injury or exposure to occupational pneumoconiosis or other occupational disease.
(c) If the employee is a resident of a state other than this state and is subject to the terms and provisions of the workers’ compensation law or similar laws of a state other than this state, the employee and his or her dependents are not entitled to the benefits payable under this chapter on account of injury, disease, or death in the course of and as a result of employment temporarily within this state, and the rights of the employee and his or her dependents under the laws of the other state shall be the exclusive remedy against the employer on account of any injury, disease or death.
(d) If any employee or his or her dependents are awarded workers’ compensation benefits or recover damages from the employer under the laws of another state for an injury received in the course of and resulting from the employment, the amount awarded or recovered, whether paid or to be paid in future installments, shall be credited against the amount of any benefits payable under this chapter for the same injury.