Montana Workers’ Compensation Court
No new enumerated decisions this period.
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (through March 19, 2026)
Plan 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Todd Lenegar v. Travelers Inc. Co. of Connecticut | 6/14/21 | Lumbar spine; | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $65,000.00 | Miller, Megan
FairClaim Work Comp Attorneys |
Harrington, Thomas
Laird Cowley, PLLC |
| Mario Pacheco v. Hartford Fire Ins. Co. | 11/11/24; | Wrist; | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $10,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Miranda
Dalpiaz & Associates
|
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Sherry Unger-Burley v. Victory Ins. Co. | 11/18/24 | Low back; | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $7,500.00 | Carey, Steve
Carey Law Firm |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Makayla Wille v. New Hampshire Ins. Co. | 7/2/24 | Knee | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $95,000.00 | Brann, Aaron
Brann Law Firm PLLC |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
Plan 3
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Karrel Reynolds II v. Montana State Fund | 10/30/23 | Right Shoulder | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $50,000.00 (-) overpayment of $13,622.43; MSA of $3,384.41 | Rasmusson, Eric
Rasmusson Law Offices, PLLC |
Meyer, Mark
Montana State Fund |
ESD Settlements Approved through March 13, 2026
Plan 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Cobb, Denver | 5/24/15 | Knee | Best Interests | $25,000.00 | None |
| Followell, Kim | 10/1/25 | Multiple body parts; | Disputed Initial Compensability | $10,000.00 | None |
| Mahan, Brent | 7/27/22 | Shoulder(s) | Best Interests | $50,000.00 | Helmer, Chris |
Plan 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Kjono, Wyatt | 10/27/25 | Shoulder(s) | Disputed Initial Compensability | $12,000.00 | None |
| Kuhl, Elizabeth | 11/4/25 | Shoulder(s) | Disputed Initial Compensability | $10,000.00 | McKenna, Sydney |
| Steck, Willie | 9/27/24 | Lungs | Single Issue | $14,000.00 | Murphy, Matthew |
Plan 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney |
| Bestrom, Riley | 8/23/24 | Finger(s) | Disputed Initial Compensability | $300.00 | None |
| Betcher, Tarra | 2/10/26 | Low back; | Disputed Initial Compensability | $1,100.00 | None |
| Hughes, Summer Lee | 3/17/25 | Upper back; | Disputed Initial Compensability | $18,000.00 | Helmer, Chris |
| Jacobsen, Jeanine | 6/18/24 | Multiple lower extremities | Single Issue | $750.00 | McKeon, Michael Jr. |
| Kroth, Kyle | 12/2/25 | Soft tissue | Disputed Initial Compensability | $7,900.00 | None |
| Luther, Joseph | 11/14/24 | Soft tissue | Disputed Initial Compensability | $5,900.00 | None |
| Midguard, Jeffrey | 3/25/23 | Skull | Best Interests | $7,000.00 | None |
| Pascoe, Paul | 2/2/23 | Knee | Best Interests | $105,000.00 | None |
| Scott, Brandi | 10/22/24 | Knee | Disputed Initial Compensability | $1,200.00 | None |
| Shultz, Suzuanne | 11/1/17 | Foot | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $28,000.00 | Murphy, Matthew |
| Smith, Virginia | 5/3/24 | Hand | Best Interests | $2,600.00 | None |
| Waldner, Jacob | 7/9/25 | Upper back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $1,000.00 | None |
5 Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
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Limited Number of New WCC Decisions → Settlement-Driven Environment
The report confirms no new enumerated decisions from the Montana Workers’ Compensation Court . While the Court has been receiving many new Petitions for Hearing, parties are settling prior to hearing. Consequently, even though many disputes are brought before the Court for trial, these don’t result in published decisions because of settlement.
Insight:
- The system remains highly settlement-driven, with limited appellate or precedential guidance.
- Practitioners should expect valuation to be shaped more by negotiation norms and recent stipulations than evolving case law.
- This increases the importance of tracking settlement data (like this report) for valuation benchmarking.
-
Plan 2 “Full & Final – Medicals Closed” Settlements Cluster in the $7.5K–$95K Range
Recent Plan 2 stipulations show a clear valuation band:
- Low: $7,500 (low back)
- Mid: $10,000 (wrist)
- High: $95,000 (knee)
Insight:
- Orthopedic injuries dominate and drive value (knee, lumbar spine, shoulder).
- $50K–$95K range appears to represent cases with surgical exposure or higher impairment risk.
- Lower settlements (~$7.5K–$10K) likely reflect limited treatment, low impairment, or causation disputes.
-
Shoulder and Knee Claims Continue to Drive Mid-to-High Value Across Plans
Across Plan 1, 2, and 3 ESD settlements:
- Shoulders: $10K → $50K
- Knees: up to $105K
Insight:
- Shoulder and knee injuries remain high-frequency, moderate-to-high value claims.
- These body parts consistently:
- Trigger impairment ratings under AMA Guides
- Carry future medical exposure (PT, injections, possible surgery)
-
Disputed Initial Compensability Cases Show Wide but Generally Low Valuation (Especially Plan 3)
Examples:
- $300 (finger)
- $1,000–$1,200 (back/soft tissue)
- Up to $18,000 (upper back)
Insight:
- Most disputed liability cases resolve at minimal nuisance value.
- However, the spread (sub-$1K to ~$18K) suggests:
- Strong fact patterns or medical support can still produce meaningful settlements
- Strategic takeaway:
- Early liability development (IME, mechanism analysis, prior history) remains critical to moving cases out of the “nuisance value” tier.
-
Plan 3 and Low-Dollar Settlements Highlight Administrative Efficiency Over Litigation
Numerous settlements under $10K (many under $2K) appear in Plan 3
Insight:
- These cases likely reflect:
- Minimal medical exposure
- Questionable causation or coverage issues
- The system is functioning to resolve low-value claims efficiently without litigation escalation.
- For practitioners:
- These cases are often cost-of-defense driven, not impairment-driven
- Early evaluation should focus on resolution timing vs. litigation cost
Bottom-Line Strategic Takeaways
- Montana WC remains settlement-centric with stable valuation bands
- Orthopedic claims (knee/shoulder/spine) continue to anchor value
- Disputed compensability cases = leverage battleground
- Low-value claims are being resolved quickly, reinforcing efficiency but requiring careful screening by counsel
