The ruling in a recent workers' compensation appeal from New Mexico addressed an interesting question: If a person is drunk at work and gets hurt, should they be compensated for their injuries? The New Mexico Court of Appeal says yes, as long as the worker's drinking wasn't the sole cause of the accident.

Workers' compensation is a state-by-state program, so court rulings in other states have no direct effect on cases in Alabama. However, many of the same legal issues come up in workers' compensation benefits disputes across the nation. Courts from one state often look for guidance from other states' courts, in the interests of fairness and informed jurisprudence. So, an Alabama court might look at the reasoning of the New Mexico court when it is faced with the same issue.

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