Montana Workers’ Compensation Court
PUBLISHED OPINIONS
(No decisions reported during 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 |
| Glover v. Montana State Fund | Petitioner’s Motion to Stay IME and Motion for Discovery Sanctions | 4/3/26 |
| Munn v. Montana State Fund | Petitioner’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 4/13/26 |
| DesRosier v. MMIA
|
Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 5/4/26 |
| Crisler v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co.
|
Respondent’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment | 5/11/26 |
| Crisler v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co.
|
Respondent’s Motion in Limine | 5/11/26 |
| Glover v. Montana State Fund
|
Petitioner’s Motion in Limine | 5/11/26 |
| Parker / Leggitt v. Safeway
|
Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 5/12/26 |
| Krueger v. Clear Spring Property & Cas. Co.
|
Respondent’s Request to Hold Trial in Butte | 5/13/26 |
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (through May 14, 2026)
PLAN 1
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Ladonna Harkins v. MACO Work Comp Trust | 1/1/06 | Bilateral upper extremities | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $50,000.00 | Simon, Paul
Stephens Brooke, PC |
Blackaby, Dean
Montana Work Comp Solutions |
| Deleaha Thompson v. The Kroger Co. | 6/15/25 | Left shoulder | Full and Finals – Medicals Closed | $55,000.00 | Braukmann, Matt
Rimrock Law, PLLC |
Smith, Charlie
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Darren Wilson v. Federal Express Corp. | 11/3/25 | Right groin | Disputed Initial Compensability | $4,000.00 | Overturf, Lea
Odegaard Law Group PC |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Carla Breeland v. Security National Ins. Co. | 10/16/24 | Bilateral wrists | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $75,000.00 | Brann, Aaron | Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Christopher Cooper v. Hartford Underwriters Ins. Co. | 2/1/24; 2/16/24; | Facial injury; upper arm/shoulder | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $75,000.00 | Plath, Russ
Plath Kemmick Law |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Jhomar Monrroy Diaz v. Hanover Ins. Co. | 8/18/25 | Unidentified | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $25,000.00 | Murphy, Matthew
Murphy Law Firm |
Bell, Tom
Laird Cowley, PLLC |
| Bledar Doda v. Travelers Casualty Ins. Co. | 5/21/25 | Shoulder, neck, head, upper back, lower back, left thigh, left knee, and pelvis | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $7,500.00 | Evans, Alex
Glacier Law Firm |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Richard Malach-Fuller v. Safety National Casualty Co. | 3/24/25; 8/20/25 | Chest, left foot | Full and Finals – Medicals Closed | $3,500.00 | None | Smith, Charlie
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
PLAN 3
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Olaf Medrud | 12/5/23 | Low back | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $180,000.00 | Blackaby, Dean
Montana Work Comp Solutions |
Wang, Haocheng
Montana State Fund |
ESD Settlements Approved through May 8, 2026
PLAN 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Conte, Paul | 9/20/24 | Low back | Best Interests | $11,000.00 | None |
| Geisler, Ryan | 12/13/24 | Lungs | Disputed Initial Compensability | $7,500.00 | Rasmusson, Eric |
PLAN 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Hattlestad, Mike | 4/14/23 | Elbow | Best Interests | $3,500.00 | None |
| Laforge, Michael | 10/6/25 | Lower arm | Best Interests | $12,500.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
| Porter, Rebecca | 4/17/25 | Abdomen/ Groin | Disputed Initial Compensability | $9,500.00 | Kemmick, Haley |
| Wynne, Phil | 7/3/20 | Low back | Best Interests | $129,311.43 | None |
PLAN 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Banderas, Joseph | 1/27/26 | Thumb | Best Interests | $650.00 | None |
| Hill, Cassadie | 8/10/22 | Knee | Best Interests | $20,000.00 | Bran, Aaron |
| Nelson, John | 2/17/26 | Skull | Single Issue | $4,000.00 | None |
| Robinson, Lewis | 8/17/24 | Chest | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $36,000.00 | None |
| Saffer, Darcy | 3/19/24 | Ankle | Best Interests | $6,500.00 | None |
| Sebens, Debbie | 11/6/20 | Low back | Best Interests | $3,116.00 | None |
Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
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Court activity snapshot
The Montana Workers’ Compensation Court had no published opinions during the covered period, but there is a notable queue of dispositive motions and miscellaneous matters awaiting decision, including multiple cross-motions for summary judgment, motions to stay an IME, motions in limine, and a venue request to hold trial in Butte. This signals active litigation on compensability and evidentiary issues despite the absence of new precedent, which may affect case valuation and strategy while outcomes are pending.
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Emerging motion themes
Several matters involve cross-motions for summary judgment (e.g., Rutledge v. Technology Insurance Co., Munn v. Montana State Fund, DesRosier v. MMIA, Parker/Leggitt v. Safeway), which suggests parties are pressing threshold legal issues rather than reserving everything for trial. The presence of motions to stay IMEs and for discovery sanctions (e.g., Glover v. Montana State Fund) and motions in limine in both Glover and Crisler indicates heightened scrutiny of medical examinations and evidentiary boundaries.
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Stipulation trends under Plan 1 and Plan 2
Across Plan 1 and Plan 2, the predominant structure is “Full and Final — Medicals Closed,” including bilateral upper extremity, shoulder, multi-level spine, and multi-body-part injuries, often for five-figure lump sums. There is also use of “Disputed Initial Compensability” settlements at relatively modest amounts (e.g., Darren Wilson v. Federal Express Corp. at $4,000; similar patterns in ESD data), reflecting a continued practice of resolving threshold liability disputes via compromise rather than adjudication.
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High- and low-value outliers and body-part mix
The data shows a wide settlement range: from low-dollar global resolutions (e.g., $3,500 to $7,500 with medicals closed on multi-body-part cases) to a six-figure Plan 3 stipulation (Olaf Medrud, low back, $180,000, medicals closed). Low back injuries recur as a high-value driver in both stipulation and ESD settlements, while smaller “best interests” and disputed compensability settlements tend to involve single joints or more limited anatomical regions such as elbow, thumb, ankle, or localized groin/abdomen injuries.
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ESD settlement practice and attorney involvement
The ESD-approved settlements through early May 2026 show frequent use of “Best Interests” resolutions and “Disputed Initial Compensability” settlements across all three plans, often with no attorney representing the claimant in lower-dollar cases. In contrast, higher-value ESD settlements (e.g., a $129,311.43 low back settlement under Plan 2) more commonly feature claimant counsel involvement, highlighting a potential correlation between representation and settlement magnitude
