Michael Chad McDaniel, an employee of Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co., appealed against a judgment in favor of his employer denying his claim for workers' compensation benefits for injuries sustained in a motor-vehicle accident. The judgment was reversed by the Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama.
The accident had occurred while McDaniel was traveling between two separate work locations on behalf of his employer, and the court found him to be a "traveling employee." In a precedent setting decision, the court concluded that McDaniel's accident arose out of and in the course of his employment, making him eligible for workers' compensation benefits.