In the 1963 case of Meeks v. Georgia Southern & Florida Railway Co., the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of a railway worker who had been injured on the job. The plaintiff, Mr. Meeks, was an employee of Georgia Southern and Florida Railway Company when he suffered injuries due to negligence by his employer while performing his duties at work. He filed a lawsuit under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA), which provides compensation for railroad workers who are hurt on duty as a result of their employers' negligence or violation of safety statutes. The main issue before the court was whether FELA allowed recovery for pain and suffering caused by fear that one's injury might lead to cancer in future years, even if there is no medical evidence supporting such fear. The Supreme Court held that it did not; only actual physical or mental harm could be compensated under FELA. However, they also found that there were other aspects related to Mr.Meek’s claim including loss wages and medical expenses which were compensable under FELA because these damages resulted directly from his physical injuries sustained during employment with defendant company.

In the dissenting opinion for Meeks v. Georgia Southern & Florida Railway Co., it was argued that the majority's decision to reverse and remand the case back to state court was incorrect. The dissenting justices believed that there were no federal questions involved in this case, as all issues could be resolved under state law. They further contended that even if a federal question did exist, it would not change the outcome of this particular case because both parties agreed on what constituted negligence under federal safety statutes. Therefore, they felt that sending this matter back to state court only served to delay justice for Mr. Meeks without any substantial reason or benefit.