19 DE Code § 2303. (2021)
2021 Delaware Code|Title 19 - Labor|Chapter 23. Workers’ Compensation|Subchapter I. General Provisions|§ 2303. Territorial application of chapter.

§ 2303. Territorial application of chapter. (a) If an employee, while working outside the territorial limits of this State, suffers an injury on account of which the employee, or in the event of the employee's death the employee's dependents, would have been entitled to the benefits provided by this chapter had such injury occurred within this State, such employee, or in the event of the employee's death resulting from such injury the employee's dependents, shall be entitled to the benefits provided by this chapter, provided that at the time of such injury:  (1) The employee's employment is principally localized in this State; or (2) The employee is working under a contract of hire made in this State in employment not principally localized in any state; or (3) The employee is working under a contract of hire made in this State in employment principally localized in another state whose workers' compensation law is not applicable to the employee's employer; or (4) The employee is working under a contract of hire made in this State for employment outside the United States and Canada. (b) The payment or award of benefits under the workers' compensation law of another state, territory, province or foreign nation to an employee or the employee's dependents otherwise entitled on account of such injury or death to the benefits of this chapter shall not be a bar to a claim for benefits under this chapter, provided that claim under this chapter is filed within 2 years after such injury or death. If compensation is paid or awarded under 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 chapter had claim been made solely under this chapter; (2) The total amount of all income benefits paid or awarded the employee under such other workers' compensation law shall be credited against the total amount of income benefits which would have been due the employee under this chapter had claim been made solely under this chapter; (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 under this chapter. (c) If an employee is entitled to the benefits of this chapter by reason of an injury sustained in this State in employment by an employer who is domiciled in another state and who has not secured the payment of compensation as required by this chapter, the employer or the employer's carrier may file with the Department a certificate, issued by the commission or agency of such other state having jurisdiction over workers' compensation claims, certifying that such employer has secured the payment of compensation under the workers' compensation law of such other state and that with respect to said injury such employee is entitled to the benefits provided under such law. In such event:  (1) The filing of such certificate shall constitute an appointment by such employer or the employer's carrier of the Department as its agent for acceptance of the service of process in any proceeding brought by such employee or the employee's dependents to enforce the employee's or dependents' rights under this chapter on account of such injury; (2) The Department shall send to such employer or carrier, by certified mail to the address shown on such certificate, a true copy of any notice of claim or other process served on the Director by the employee or the employee's dependents in any proceeding brought to enforce the employee's or dependents' rights under this chapter; (3) a. If such employer is a qualified self-insurer under the workers' compensation law of such other state, such employer shall, upon submission of evidence, satisfactory to the Department, of its ability to meet its liability to such employee under this chapter, be deemed to be a qualified self-insurer under this chapter; b. If such employer's liability under the workers' compensation law of such other state is insured, such employer's carrier, as to such employee or the employee's dependents only, shall be deemed to be an insurer authorized to write insurance under and be subject to this chapter; provided, however, that unless its contract with said employer requires it to pay an amount equivalent to the compensation benefits provided by this chapter, its liability for income benefits or medical and related benefits shall not exceed the amounts of such benefits for which such insurer would have been liable under the workers' compensation law of such other state; (4) If the total amount for which such employer's insurance is liable under paragraph (c)(3) of this section is less than the total of the compensation benefits to which such employee is entitled under this chapter, the Department may, if it deems it necessary, require the employer to file security, satisfactory to the Department, to secure the payment of benefits due such employee or the employee's dependents under this chapter; and (5) Upon compliance with the preceding requirements of this subsection, such employer, as to such employee only, shall be deemed to have secured the payment of compensation under this chapter. (d) As used in this section:  (1) “United States” includes only the states of the United States and the District of Columbia. (2) “State” includes any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any province of Canada. (3) “Carrier” includes any insurance company licensed to write workers' compensation insurance in any state of the United States or any state or provincial fund which insures employers against their liabilities under a workers' compensation law. (4) A person's employment is principally localized in this or another state when:  a. A person's employer has a place of business in this or such other state and the person regularly works at or from such place of business; or b. If paragraph (d)(4)a. of this section is not applicable, the person is domiciled and spends a substantial part of the person's working time in the service of the person's employer in this or such other state. (5) Any employee whose duties require the employee to travel regularly in the service of the employee's employer in this and 1 or more other states may, by written agreement with the employee's employer, provide that the employee's 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 chapter. (6) “Workers' Compensation Law” includes “Occupational Disease Law.”Code 1915, §  3193a;  29 Del. Laws, c. 233;  30 Del. Laws, c. 203, §  1;  Code 1935, §  6071;  42 Del. Laws, c. 185, §  1;  19 Del. C. 1953, §  2303;  59 Del. Laws, c. 454, §  2;  70 Del. Laws, c. 172, §§  3-5;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  71 Del. Laws, c. 84, §  3;  71 Del. Laws, c. 422, §  1;