In a divided decision, the Supreme Court of Iowa reversed the decision of the Scott County district court denying workers compensation benefits to a 911 dispatcher diagnosed with PTSD. The case is Tripp v. Scott Emergency Commun. Center, 977 N.W.2d 459 (Iowa 2022).

In September 2018, a veteran dispatcher, Mandy Tripp, fielded a call from a distraught mother who was screaming "Help me, my baby is dead." It took Tripp nearly two-and-a-half minutes to get an address from the woman so she could send emergency personnel. After the call ended, however, radio traffic related to the call continued. Tripp heard one officer say the baby had apparently been struck multiple times with a hammer; another mentioned "a potential crime scene"; a third stated that "rigor [mortis] was already set in" when first responders arrived. All of these statements were made against the backdrop of the mother's continuous screams.

Though Tripp finished her shift without incident, she became withdrawn, constantly feeling on the verge of tears and unable to shake the mother's screams. She sought treatment and was diagnosed with PTSD by both a licensed mental health counselor and a psychologist. The mental health professional who examined Tripp for litigation purposes more than six months later also entered a diagnosis of PTSD.