The claimant at the time of filing his notice of injury shall elect where necessary hearings by the Court shall be held; provided, that if the claimant is a legal resident of the State of Oklahoma, he shall be required to elect either the judicial district of the county of his legal residence at the time he sustained his injury, the judicial district of the county where the injury occurred or the judicial district of the county of the principal place of business of the employer. In the event that the claimant is not a legal resident of the State of Oklahoma, the necessary hearings shall be held in the judicial district of the county of the principal place of business of the employer; provided, that if the injury occurred within the state, the hearings shall be held in the judicial district of the county where the injury occurred. In the event the claimant is not a legal resident of the State of Oklahoma and the accident resulting in injury occurred outside the territorial limits of the state, then the hearings shall be held in the judicial district of the county in this state wherein the contract of employment was entered into. After the election has been made as provided above, all future hearings by the Court affecting the claimant's case shall be held in the judicial district so designated unless the Court, upon agreement by the claimant and the employer, shall transfer such cause for hearing to any other judicial district agreed upon. In addition, hearings may be held in any jurisdiction if the Judge determines that good cause has been shown.

Laws 1977, c. 234, § 9, eff. July 1, 1978.