Montana Workers’ Compensation Court
No new enumerated decisions this period.
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (through Feb. 13, 2026)
Plan 1
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Cynthia Katschke v. Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority | Mutliple (6) | Multiple | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $76,000.00 | Overturf, Greg
Odegaard Injury Lawyers |
Weber, Morgan
Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven, PC |
Plan 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Zachary Arnold v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co. | 2/3/25 | Head, neck, mid- and low-back | Full and Final – Medical Closed | $40,000.00 | Matthew Braukmann,
Rimrock Law |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Chris Avery v. National Specialty Ins. Co. | 3/9/24 | Right shoulder, ribs, and head | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $50,000.00 | Miller, Andrew
Miller Tourtlotte Law, PLLC |
Smith, Charlie
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Claude Barnes v. Great West Casualty | 3/2/23 | Back, neck, right shoulder, right arm, right hand, and fingers | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $90,000.00 | Miller, Megan
Fair Claim Atttorneys |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| James Grundhauer v. Associated Loggers Exchange | 10/22/20; 8/6/21; | Bilateral shoulders, hands, cervical and lumbar spine | Disputed Initial Compensability | $5,000.00 | Blackaby, Dean
Montana Work Comp Solutions |
Harrington, Tom
Laird Cowley, PLLC |
| Andrew Iddles v. Victory Ins. Co. | 5/15/25 | Hip, bilateral hands, knee, lower leg, and back | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $10,000.00 | Storrar, Keif
Doubek, Pyfer & Storrar |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
Plan 3
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Terrance Schmidt v. Montana State Fund | 6/19/24 | Lungs / Body System | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $50,000.00 | Carey, Steve
Carey Law Firm PC |
Meyer, Mark,
Montana State Fund |
ESD Settlements Approved through Feb. 6, 2026
Plan 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Buchholz, Levi | 4/5/25 | Teeth | Best Interest | $5,000.00 | None |
| Hutchings, Anthony | 5/6/21 | Ear(s) | Best Interest | $30,000.00 | None |
Plan 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Charbonneau, Robert | 8/27/25 | Soft Tissue | Disputed Initial Compensability | $45,000 | Lighthall, David |
| Heiser, Andrew | 5/31/25 | Knee | Disputed Initial Compensability | $10,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
| Holum, Greg | 7/13/21 | Multiple Upper Extremities | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $100,000.00 | Overturf, Lea |
| Lindemann, Natalie | 4/12/24 | Shoulder(s) | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $31,776.89 | None |
| Sommerstedt, Daniel | 12/30/24 | Multiple Head Injury | Best Interest | $2,500.00 | None |
Plan 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Alick, Claude | 12/13/25 | Internal Organs | Disputed Initial Compensability | $1,000.00 | None |
| Aragon, Chase | 1/17/25 | Facial Bones | Disputed Initial Compensability | $3,280.00 | None |
| Belstad, Steven | 10/10/24 | Low Back | Full and Final -Medicals Closed | $29,000.00 | Blackaby, Dean |
| Blevins, Alexandria | 12/26/25 | Ankle | Other – Single Issue | $8,000.00 | None |
| Bushnell, Tressa | 4/19/24 | Low Back | Best Interest | $65,000.00 | Tourtlotte, Matthew |
| Campbell, Darlene | 6/16/25 | Upper Back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $3,000.00 | None |
| Claridge, Stryder | 3/7/24 | Upper Back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $35,000.00 | None |
| Cooper, James | 9/3/25 | Knee | Disputed Initial Compensability | $15,000.00 | Overturf, Lea |
| Davis, Michael | 7/8/23 | Skull | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $405,078.74 | Murphy, Matthew |
| Dyer, Jorri | 10/23/25 | Internal Organs | Disputed Initial Compensability | $4,000.00 | None |
| Edstrom, Tanya | 7/9/25 | Skull | Best Interest | $700.00 | None |
| Fischer, Wyatt | 8/25/23 | Low Back | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $42,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
| Jackson, Nathan | 9/17/25 | Low Back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $6,550.00 | None |
| May, Ethan | 10/3/25 | Finger(s) | Disputed Initial Compensability | $3,000.00 | Storrar, Keif |
| Monroe, Hughie | 4/11/23 | Soft Tissue | Best Interest | $5,000.00 | None |
| Parker, Ronald | 5/6/24 | Knee | Best Interest | $70,000.00 | Duckworth, Kiel |
| Postma, Bradley | 10/4/23 | Multiple Lower Extremities | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Reserved | $45,000.00 | Blackaby, Dean |
| Shearer, Daniel | 8/1/25 | Low Back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $4,550.00 | None |
5 Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
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No New Enumerated WCC Decisions – Litigation Risk Currently Settlement-Driven
The report reflects no new enumerated decisions from the Montana Workers’ Compensation Court during this period.
Practical implication: Risk exposure is currently being shaped more by negotiated settlements than by new appellate-level legal interpretations. Practitioners should:
- Monitor stipulation trends as proxies for valuation benchmarks.
- Expect carriers to rely on historical precedent rather than new doctrinal shifts.
- Recognize this as a relatively stable legal climate (no new adverse precedent).
-
Plan 3 Shows the Highest Severity and Variability in Settlement Values
Plan 3 settlements demonstrate the widest range and highest outlier values:
- $405,078.74 (Skull – Petition for Settlement)
- $70,000 (Knee – Best Interest)
- $65,000 (Low Back – Best Interest)
- Multiple disputed compensability resolutions under $10,000
Key takeaway: Plan 3 claims (Montana State Fund/self-insured public sector) continue to show:
- Significant exposure in head/skull and multi-system cases.
- Large valuation swings depending on settlement type (Best Interest vs. Petition vs. Disputed Compensability).
For valuation modeling, skull/head cases under Plan 3 are materially higher risk than standard orthopedic soft tissue disputes.
-
Disputed Initial Compensability Claims Frequently Resolve at Predictable Low Bands
Across Plans 2 and 3, disputed initial compensability settlements commonly cluster between:
- $1,000 – $10,000 (Plan 3)
- $10,000 – $45,000 (Plan 2)
This pattern suggests:
- Carriers are pricing litigation risk conservatively when medical causation or coverage is weak.
- Petitioners are often accepting early compromise rather than funding full medical causation litigation.
For practitioners, this creates a benchmarking tool:
- Minor body parts or questionable mechanism → expect low five-figure ceiling.
- Multi-body or better liability facts → mid-five figures possible.
-
“Medicals Closed” Remains the Dominant Resolution Structure
The majority of higher-value settlements—across all three Plans—are structured as:
- Full and Final – Medicals Closed
- Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed
This confirms that:
- Carriers are aggressively seeking closure of future medical exposure.
- Petitioners are monetizing medical risk rather than leaving treatment open.
- Lifetime medical liability remains a significant valuation driver.
Strategically, this reinforces the importance of:
- Future medical cost modeling.
- Accurate impairment and surgical probability forecasting.
- Use of structured projections when negotiating six-figure exposures.
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Defense Counsel Concentration Suggests Strategic Litigation Alignment
There is noticeable repeat defense representation, particularly:
- Crowley Fleck PLLP (multiple Plan 2 matters)
- Laird Cowley
- Montana State Fund internal counsel
This suggests:
- Certain carriers are consolidating work with experienced defense firms.
- Litigation style and valuation patterns may be firm-specific.
- Plaintiff-side professionals should anticipate consistent defense approaches in Plan 2 cases involving Hartford, National Specialty, and Great West.
