Montana Workers’ Compensation Court
No new enumerated decisions this period.
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (through Jan. 8, 2026)
PLAN 1
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Tyrel Kettenacker v. Stillwater Mining Co. | 2/2/12; 5/30/13, 8/23/23 | Shoulder, hand, and neck | Full and Final (Meds Closed) | $135,000 | Lucas Wallace,
Odegaard Injury Lawyers |
Joe Maynard,
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Tabitha Sands v. Montana Health Network | 9/11/23 | Low Back | Full and Final (Meds Closed) | $90,000 | Megan Miller,
Fair Claim Lawyers |
Joe Maynard,
Crowley Fleck, PLLP |
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Elizabeth Finley v. Indemnity Ins. Co. of North America | 6/19/24 | Left wrist | Single Issue (Closed Period) | $4,500 | Tommy Murphy,
Murphy Law Firm |
Morgan Weber,
Browning, Kalecyzc, Berry & Hoven, PC |
| Joseph Harris v. Liberty Mutual Fire Ins. Co. | 10/27/16 | Left hip | Full and Final (Medicals Reserved) | $58,000 | Matthew Murphy,
Murphy Law Firm |
Adrianna Potts,
Potts Law PLLC |
| Sunny Hoffart v. Ace American Ins. Co. | 12/15/21; 5/30/22 | Bi-lateral wrists, face, head, neck and teeth | Full and Final (Meds Closed) | $295,000 | Greg Overturf,
Odegaard Law Group, P.C. |
Thomas Harrington,
Laird Cowley, PLLC |
| Patrick Huber v. American Liberty Ins. Co. | 4/15/22 | Right shoulder | Full and Final (Meds Closed) | $50,000 | Matthew Murphy,
Murphy Law Firm |
Joe Maynard,
Crowley Fleck, PLLP |
| Melissa Mathis v. Ace American Ins. Co. | 10/14/24 | Cervical spine and arm | Full and Final (Meds Closed) | $65,000 | Alex Evans,
Glacier Law Firm |
Joe Maynard,
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Louis Salminen v. Twin City Fire Ins. Co. | 8/22/23 | Arm, wrist and elbow | Full and Final (Meds Closed) | $55,000 | Vince Salminen,
Scheveck & Sallimen, PLLC |
Joe Maynard,
Crowley Fleck, PLLP |
PLAN 3
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Evan Schlegelmich v. Montana State Fund | 6/17/24 | Right arm | Full and Final (Meds Closed) | $70,000 | Matthew Murphy,
Murphy Law Firm |
Mark Meyer,
Montana State Fund |
ESD Settlements Approved through Dec. 29, 2025
Plan 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Delahunt, Kasey | 12/23/2022 | Shoulders | Single Issue Settlement | $1,500.00 | — |
| Rhine, James | 12/4/2023 | Shoulders | Petition for Best Interest | $65,000.00 | Tempel-St John, Stacy |
| Shimim, Farshina | 8/12/2025 | Eyes | Disputed Initial Compensability | $300.00 | — |
| Wellcome, Jamie | 11/19/2024 | Eye(s); Lower Back Area | Disputed Initial Compensability / Petition for Best Interest | $70,000.00 | Overturf, Greg |
Plan 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Balderas, Juan | 7/24/2025 | Brain | Disputed Initial Compensability | $20,000.00 | Tempel-St John, Stacy |
| Neil, Tony | 7/29/2024 | Internal Organs | Disputed Initial Compensability | $5,250.00 | — |
Plan 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Blackshear, Barbara | 11/4/2025 | Lower Back Area | Disputed Initial Compensability | $2,500.00 | — |
| Blair, Bruce | 4/30/2025 | Lower Back Area | Disputed Initial Compensability | $85,000.00 | McKenna, Sydney |
| Borresen, Keith | 2/18/2025 | Knee | Petition for Best Interest | $17,125.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
| Coulter, Valerie | 1/30/2021 | Lower Back Area | Petition for Best Interest | $5,000.00 | Murphy, Matthew |
| Dacus, Avian | 10/26/2023 | Lower Back Area | Petition for Settlement – Medical Closed | $3,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Miranda |
| Gursky, Renee | 1/28/2025 | Shoulder(s); Chest; Other | Single Issue Settlement / Petition for Best Interest | $21,400.00 | — |
| Hartwell, Dawn | 10/6/2025 | Pelvis | Disputed Initial Compensability | $3,500.00 | — |
| Herman, Jessica | 10/19/2023 | Internal Organs | Petition for Best Interest | $10,000.00 | Tempel-St John, Stacy |
| Hubbs, Courtney | 1/17/2023 | Knee | Petition for Best Interest | $8,000.00 | — |
| Maksin, Michael | 12/23/2016 | Elbow | Petition for Best Interest | $4,000.00 | — |
| Neshem, Christina | 2/14/2019 | Upper Back Area | Petition for Best Interest | $3,800.00 | — |
| Peden, Joel | 3/29/2025 | Wrist | Petition for Best Interest | $7,030.00 | — |
| Peters, Danielle | 1/16/2025 | Pelvis | Petition for Best Interest | $7,206.08 | — |
| Shaw, Jessica | 5/15/2025 | Shoulder(s); Internal Organs | Petition for Best Interest / Disputed Initial Compensability | $14,500.00 | — |
5 Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
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Full & Final settlements with medicals closed continue to dominate litigated cases
Across Plans 1–3, the majority of court-approved stipulations resolve claims on a Full and Final basis with medicals closed, particularly in higher-value cases involving spine, shoulder, and multi-body-part injuries. This reinforces the continued preference—by insurers and petitioners alike—for global resolution rather than long-tail medical exposure.
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Plan 2 shows the widest settlement range and injury complexity
Plan 2 settlements range from $4,500 single-issue closures to nearly $300,000 catastrophic, multi-system injuries, reflecting Plan 2’s role as the most heterogeneous risk pool. For professionals, this underscores the need for case-by-case valuation discipline rather than reliance on Plan-based heuristics.
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High-value outcomes strongly correlate with multi-body-part and cervical/upper-extremity injuries
The largest settlements consistently involve multiple body parts, particularly combinations of neck, shoulder, arm, wrist, and head/face injuries. These patterns align with increased exposure for impairment ratings, vocational factors, and future medical risk—key drivers of settlement leverage.
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ESD settlements are overwhelmingly low-dollar and compensability-focused
Most Employment Standards Division (ESD) settlements resolve disputed initial compensability or best-interest petitions, typically under $10,000. These matters function less as damages cases and more as risk-management tools to cap exposure early, often without attorney involvement.
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A small group of attorneys appear repeatedly, signaling experience-driven settlement efficiency
Certain petitioner and respondent attorneys appear frequently across plans and settlement types, suggesting that repeat-player familiarity may facilitate smoother negotiations and predictable outcomes. For claims handlers and counsel, recognizing these dynamics can improve early resolution strategy and cost forecasting.
