Montana Workers’ Compensation Court
No new enumerated decisions this period.
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (through Jan. 29, 2026)
PLAN 1
| Edward Dinius v. Les Schwab Tire Centers | 8/27/15; 4/23/21 | Right shoulder, left ring finger, head and face | Full and Final (Medicals Closed) | $75,000.00 | McKeon, Michael Jr.
McKeon Law |
Smith, Charlie
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Casey Heimann v. Montana Health Network WC Ins. Trust | 9/5/25 | Mid-back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $8,500.00 | Plath, Russ
Plath Kemmick Law LLC |
Potts, Adrianna
Potts Law PLLC |
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Melissa Gonzalez – Hernandez v. Americal Liberty Ins.Co. | 3/25/22 | Elbow, shoulder, and neck | Full and Final (Medicals Closed) | $8,000.00 | Lighthall, David
Carey Law Firm |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Michael Fascell v. Old Republic Ins. Co. | 5/22/24 | Cervical spine | Full and Final (Medicals Closed) | $22,000.00 | Miller, Megan
Fair Claim Lawyers |
Harrington, Thomas
Laird Cowley PLLC |
| Stephen Fuller v. Corvel Corporation | 7/15/24 | Right Knee | Full and Final (Medicals Closed) | $135,000.00 | Murphy, Matthew
Murphy Law Firm |
Buckwalter, Mark |
| Christoffer Wassberg v. Zurich American Ins. Co. | 4/2/24 | Head, ribs, right foot/ankle, and neck | Full and Final (Medicals Closed) | $25,000.00 | Wallace, Lucas
Odegaard Injury Lawyers |
Potts, Adrianna
Potts Law PLLC |
| Tyler Weaver v. Ace American Ins. Co. | 7/26/23 | Multiple (burn injury over 45% of body) | Full and Final (Medicals Closed) | $75,000.00 | Kovacich, Mark
Kovacich Snipes Johnson |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Kasidy Zimmerman v. Hartford Underwriters Ins. Co. | 2/24/25; 8/8/25. | POB not identified, psychological issue | Full and Final (Medicals Closed) | $7,500.00 | Brann, Aaron
Travis & Brann |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
PLAN 3
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| David McLaughlin v. Montana State Fund | 6/17/21 | Right shoulder and neck | Full and Final (Medicals Closed) | $145,000.00 | Jones, Brad
Doubek, Pyfer & Storrar PLLP |
Meyer, Mark
Montana State Fund |
ESD Settlements Approved through Jan. 19, 2026
PLAN 1
No reported settlements for this reporting period.
PLAN 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Brock, Annette | 11/20/25 | Knee | Disputed Initial | $3,500.00 | |
| Noble, Celestine | 3/6/25 | Knee | Disputed Initial | $1,000.00 | Wallace, Lucas |
| Old Horn, Jonathon | 11/19/25 | Foot | Disputed Initial | $3,000.00 | |
| Thomas, Dorian | 3/15/24 | Wrist | Best Interest | $12,000.00 | Murphy, Matthew |
| Vinson, James | 1/11/25 | Finger(s) | Disputed Initial | $50,000.00 | Overturf, Greg |
PLAN 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Baltz, Elsa | 6/12/25 | Eye(s) | Disputed Initial | $1,050.00 | |
| Bolton, Keri | 6/13/23 | Multiple Upper Extremities | Petition for Settlement (Medicals Closed) | $164,500.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
| Griffin, Richard | 11/28/25 | Wrist | Disputed Initial | $1,600.00 | |
| Heinzeroth, Cory | 5/29/25 | Low Back | Disputed Initial | $50,000.00 | Braukmann, Matt |
| McKeag, Rachel | 4/23/25 | Multiple Upper Extremities | Best Interest | $2,000.00 | |
| Pickering, Kristian | 6/12/23 | Internal Organs | Best Interest | $25,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Miranda |
| Sanchez Lira, Willian Jossel | 5/6/24 | Ankle | Best Interest | $100,960.00 | Murphy, Matthew |
| Velasquez, Maya | 7/16/25 | Skull | Disputed Initial | $900.00 |
5 Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
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No new WCC decisions → settlements are doing the work.
The absence of new enumerated Montana Workers’ Compensation Court decisions during this period underscores that dispute resolution is being driven almost entirely by stipulations and negotiated settlements, reinforcing the practical importance of valuation strategy over litigation outcomes.
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Full & Final settlements with medicals closed remain the dominant resolution model.
Across Plans 2 and 3, nearly all reported stipulations closed future medicals, even in cases involving spine, head, psychological, and multi-system injuries, signaling continued insurer preference for long-term exposure elimination rather than open-med medical risk
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Settlement value correlates more with injury complexity than DOI age.
High-value settlements (e.g., $135,000 knee; $145,000 shoulder/neck; $164,500 multiple upper extremities) span DOIs from 2021–2024, suggesting body system involvement and permanency risk are stronger drivers of valuation than claim duration alone
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Psychological and disputed compensability claims continue to settle cheaply—but consistently.
Claims involving psychological issues or disputed initial compensability repeatedly resolved in the $1,000–$8,500 range, reflecting predictable pricing bands that practitioners can use as benchmarks when advising on early resolution strategy
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ESD settlements show extreme valuation dispersion, highlighting negotiation leverage.
ESD settlements range from sub-$1,000 disputed initials to six-figure best-interest resolutions, demonstrating that ESD valuation in Montana is highly fact-sensitive and attorney-driven rather than formulaic—an important takeaway for claims handlers and claimant counsel alike
