Montana Workers’ Compensation Court
No decisions reported this period.
SUBMITTED MATTERS
Motions & Miscellaneous Matters
| Case | Pleading | Date Submitted |
| Rutledge v. Technology Ins. Co. | Petitioner’s Cross-Motion for Summary Judgement | 2/11/26 |
| Rutledge v. Technology Ins. Co. | Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 2/17/26 |
| Guitron v. UEF | UEF’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 5/15/26
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| Guitron v. UEF | Villegas Del Villar’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 5/20/26
|
| Fievet v. FedEx Freight, Inc.
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Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 9/10/26 |
| Boyer v. Montana State Fund | Petitioner’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment | 9/11/26 |
|
Crisler v. Zurich American Ins. Co.
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Respondent’s Motion for Reconsideration |
9/21/26 |
| Koehler v. Victory Ins. Co.
|
Appeal of Department’s Order (ARM 24.5.530) | 9/23/26 |
| Mathiason v. Montana State Fund | Petitioner’s Motion in Limine | 9/25/26 |
Upcoming Trials, Hearings & Conferences
| Date | Time | Place | Issue | Case |
| 10/7/26 | 9:30 am | Zoom | Pre-Trial Conference | Mathiason v. Montana State Fund |
| 10/20/26 | 9:00 am | Missoula | Perpetuation Deposition of Dr. Layton | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
| 11/4/26 | 10:00 am | Zoom / WA | Perpetuation Deposition of Dr. Corey | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
| 11/6/26 | 8:30 am | Missoula | Trial | Wheeler v. Montana State Fund |
| Week of
11/16/26 |
9:00 am | Butte | Trial | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (week ending October 1, 2026)
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Danielle Allen v. Starstone National Ins. Co. | 12/4/23 | Low back and hip; left leg; left ankle; | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $10,000.00 | Pro Se | Smith, Charlie
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Kaleana Emhoff v. Hartford Accident & Ind. Co. | 10/3/24 | Shoulder | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $35,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Miranda
Dalpiaz & Associates |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Jungin Lee v. Security National Ins. Co. | 8/23/24 | Bilateral upper extremities | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $26,00000 | Moore, Kraig
Law Office of Kraig Moore |
Coate, Erik
Laird Cowley PLLC Mediator: Dean Blackaby |
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Roque Sanchez v. Montana State Fund | 8/9/24 | Left knee; | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $50,000.00
Inclusive of $13,185.08 MSA |
Blackaby, Dean
Montana Work Comp Solutions |
Wang, Haocheng
Montana State Fund |
ESD Settlements Approved through September 25, 2026
PLAN 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Svejkovsky, Richard | 4/28/98 | Low back; | Best Interests | $233,969.00 | None |
PLAN 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Bray, Louise | 1/3/26 | Multiple body parts; | Disputed Initial Compensability | $20,000.00 | Kemmick, Hayley |
| Evans, Daniel | 6/10/25 | Knee | Disputed Initial Compensability | $15,000.00 | Helmer, Chris |
PLAN 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Davis, Casandra | 1/20/26 | Low back; | Disputed Initial Compensability | $8,500.00 | None |
| Garrison, Justin | 8/26/24 | Low back; | Best Interests | $40,041.52 | None |
| Hawkins, Dennis | 1/29/26 | Knee; | Petition for Settlement- Medicals Reserved | $3,800.00 | None |
| Head, Nolan | 8/14/23 | Low back; | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Reserved | $7,500.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
| Love, Connie (Leonard) | 12/31/89 | Chest; (Widow) | Disputed Initial Compensability | $50,000.00 | Blackaby, Dean |
| Schmitt, Landon | 7/13/26 | Internal organs; | Disputed Initial Compensability | $510.00 | None |
| Torgeson, Tavin | 2/13/25 | Elbow; | Best Interests | $2,400.00 | None |
| Wolfe, Jason | 9/28/22 | Upper back; | Best Interests | $7,200.00 | None |
Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
- The WCC has a substantial dispositive-motion pipeline. The Court reports no decisions for the period, but six of the nine submitted matters involve summary-judgment or partial-summary-judgment motions, including competing motions in both Rutledge v. Technology Insurance Co. and Guitron v. UEF. Practitioners should anticipate several potentially substantive rulings from the Court in the coming months.
- The upcoming WCC calendar is unusually concentrated on medical testimony. Krueger v. Clear Spring Property & Casualty Co. has two separate perpetuation depositions of physicians scheduled before its November trial setting. That concentration on preserved physician testimony underscores the continuing importance of developing medical causation and opinion evidence well before trial.
- Recent Plan 2 settlements involving closure of medical benefits show a meaningful but fairly broad range. The four reported stipulations involving full-and-final closure of medicals settled for $10,000, $26,000, $35,000, and $50,000. The $50,000 Sanchez settlement is particularly notable because it includes a $13,185.08 MSA, illustrating how Medicare considerations can represent a significant component of an otherwise moderate settlement.
- Disputed initial compensability claims continue to resolve without an adjudication of liability. The ESD data identifies disputed-compensability settlements of $20,000 for multiple body parts, $15,000 for a knee, $8,500 for a low back, $50,000 for a widow/chest claim, and only $510 for an internal-organ claim. The enormous spread is a useful reminder that the “disputed compensability” designation alone has little predictive value; exposure, proof, benefit duration, and consequences of an adverse liability determination matter substantially more.
- The ESD data demonstrates just how misleading settlement averages can be. The eleven reported ESD settlements range from $510 to $233,969, with a median of only $8,500. The $233,969 Plan 1 “Best Interests” low-back settlement is a major outlier, while several Plan 3 settlements fall below $10,000. For valuation purposes, practitioners should segment settlement data by plan, settlement type, medical status, and liability posture rather than relying on an overall average.
