Wilkes v. City of Greenville

**What happened:** A City of Greenville employee suffered physical injuries on the job that the city accepted as work-related. Later, the worker developed anxiety and depression, which he claimed were connected to his workplace injuries. He sought workers' compensation coverage for mental health treatment and continued disability payments. The city disputed whether these mental health conditions were work-related and whether the worker should keep receiving disability benefits. **What the court decided:** The North Carolina Supreme Court sided with the worker on the main issues. The court ruled that when an employer has already accepted that physical injuries are work-related, there's a legal presumption that related mental health conditions like anxiety and depression are also covered by workers' compensation. The court also confirmed the worker was entitled to disability benefits. However, the court sent part of the case back to lower courts to further review how the worker's hearing loss (tinnitus) affected his ability to earn wages. **Why this matters for workers:** This ruling strengthens protections for workers who develop mental health conditions after workplace injuries. It establishes that psychological problems stemming from accepted work injuries should generally be covered by workers' compensation, making it easier for injured workers to get mental health treatment paid for through the workers' compensation system.