Montana Workers’ Compensation Court
No new enumerated decisions this period.
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary through Dec. 11, 2025
PLAN 1
No approved stipulations for Plan 1 carriers.
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney(s) | Respondent / Insurer Attorney(s) |
| Brewchard Cooper v. Old Republic Insurance Co. | August 2, 2024 | Knee | Lump-sum disputed liability settlement; medical partially closed | $15,000.00 | Tommy Murphy,
Murphy Law Firm; |
Joe Maynard
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Matthew Jones v. UEF v. Cincinnati Insurance Co. / AK Builders, LLC | September 25, 2024 | Right ankle, lumbar spine (burst fracture) | Global WC + third-party settlement; full and final | $175,000.00 | Matthew Murphy, Tommy Murphy,
Murphy Law Firm; Ben Snipes, Kovacich Snipes Johnson, P.C. |
Seth Cunningham, John Knisely,
Brown Law Firm, P.C.; (Cincinnati); Dean Blackaby, Montana Work Comp Solutions (AK Builders) Geoff Keller, Mediator |
| Scott Lytle v. Wesco Ins. Co. | June 24, 2024 | Right forearm, cervical, cephalohematoma | Lump-sum disputed settlement with professionally-administered MSA | $80,000.00 | Matthew Murphy,
Murphy Law Frim |
Charlie Smith,
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Tammy Cordis Reynolds v. American Liberty Insurance Co. | Feb. 14, 2021; Nov. 7, 2022; Apr. 18, 2023 | Knee, back, low back | Lump-sum disputed liability settlement with self-administered MSA | $79,000.00 | Leslae Dalpiaz,
Dalpiaz and Associates |
Joe Maynard,
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Tammy Maul v. XL Insurance America | Jan. 9, 2017; Feb. 19, 2018; June 30, 2020 | Finger, hand, wrist | Lump-sum disputed liability settlement; medical closed | $55,000.00 | Thomas Bulman,
Bulman Jones & Cook PLLC |
Joe Maynard,
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
PLAN 3
No approved stipulations for Plan 3 (Montana State Fund).
ESD Settlements Approved through Dec. 5, 2025
Plan 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Morse, Brenda | 10/25/2023 | Lower Arm | Petition for Best Interest | $50,000.00 | Odegaard, Paul |
Plan 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Bent Pena, Ozzy | 6/10/2025 | Foot | Disputed Initial Compensability | $5,000.00 | Brann, Aaron |
| Hubbard, William | 10/14/2024 | Shoulder(s) | Petition for Best Interest | $25,000.00 | Brann, Aaron |
| Chasteen, Jesse | 6/14/2023 | Hip | Petition for Best Interest | $73,719.00 | |
| Mork, Preston | 8/28/2023 | Lower Back Area | Petition for Best Interest | $18,000.00 | |
| Trotter, Destiny | 6/14/2025 | Multiple Body Parts | Petition for Best Interest | $15,000.00 | |
| Wolfe, Holly | 10/3/2025 | Lower Back Area | Disputed Initial Compensability | $1,500.00 |
Plan 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Espinoza, Ricardo | 12/14/2021 | Soft Tissue | Single Issue Settlement | $62,000.00 | Overturf, Lea |
| LaCourse, Glenn | 9/2/2025 | Lower Back Area | Disputed Initial Compensability | $9,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Miranda |
| Strong, Branadine | 12/19/2022 | Skull | Petition – Medical Closed | $24,999.99 | Storrar, Keif |
| Thomas, Joshua | 10/7/2022 | Internal Organs | Petition for Best Interest | $105,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Miranda |
| Heintz, Brittany | 8/8/2025 | Internal Organs | Disputed Initial Compensability | $2,150.00 | |
| Herbst, Chad | 7/22/2025 | Lower Leg | Disputed Initial Compensability | $2,300.00 | |
| Sinks, Parker | 2/12/2025 | Lower Back Area | Disputed Initial Compensability | $1,000.00 |
5 Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
- Plan 2 dominates stipulated resolutions this reporting period, while Plans 1 and 3 were largely quiet.
No approved stipulations appear for Plan 1 carriers or the Montana State Fund (Plan 3) during this reporting period, reinforcing that negotiated stipulations—particularly lump-sum disputed liability settlements—are overwhelmingly a Plan 2 phenomenon - Disputed liability settlements skew toward modest lump sums—unless catastrophic injuries or third-party claims are involved.
Most Plan 2 disputed liability settlements fall in the $15,000–$79,000 range, but the $175,000 global WC + third-party settlement involving a lumbar burst fracture demonstrates how exposure escalates sharply when severe injuries and parallel civil claims intersect. - Lower back and multi-site injuries remain the most common settlement drivers across plans
Across both WC stipulations and ESD settlements, lower back/lumbar spine injuries appear repeatedly, often paired with “multiple body parts” or additional orthopedic involvement—confirming their continued role as high-risk, high-cost claim categories in Montana. - Disputed Initial Compensability claims resolve cheaply—but frequently
ESD data show numerous Disputed Initial Compensability settlements resolving for $1,000–$9,000, suggesting insurers are regularly using low-dollar settlements as a cost-containment tool to close marginal or documentation-weak claims before litigation costs escalate. - Petitions for Best Interest remain the preferred mechanism for higher-value ESD resolutions
The largest ESD settlements—often $50,000 to $105,000—are overwhelmingly approved through Petitions for Best Interest, signaling continued judicial comfort with this pathway when significant medical exposure or long-term risk is present
