Montana Workers’ Compensation Court
No decisions this reporting 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 |
| 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 |
| Parker / Leggitt v. Safeway
|
Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 5/12/26 |
| Guitron v. UEF | UEF’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 5/15/26
|
| Guitron v. UEF | Villegas Del Villar’s Motion for Summary Judgment | 5/20/26
|
| Crisler v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co.
|
Petitioner’s Counter-Motion for Summary Judgment | 5/21/26
|
| Parker / Leggit v. Safeway | Petitioner’s Objection to Overbroad Discovery / Respondent’s Motion to Compel | 6/16/26 |
|
Wheeler v. Montana State Fund |
Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment |
6/16/26 |
Upcoming Trials, Hearings & Conferences
| Date | Time | Place | Issue | Case |
| 8/19/26 | 10:30 am | Helena | Trial | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
| 9/9/26 | 10:00 am | Via Zoom | Perpetuation Deposition of Dr. Hyman
|
Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
| 10/20/26 | 9:00 am | Missoula | Perpetuation Deposition of Dr. Layton | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
| 11/4/26 | 10:00 am | Zoom / WA | Perpetuation Deposition of Dr. Corey | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
| Week of
11/16/26 |
9:00 am | Butte | Trial | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (through July 16, 2026)
PLAN 1
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| David Snuggs v. Federal Express Corp. | 12/2/24 | Right shoulder | Full and Final – Disputed Initial Compensability | $80,000.00 incl. annuity for MSA of $18,818.00 | Murphy, Matthew
Murphy Law Firm |
Smith, Charlie
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Clara Craft v. Employers Preferred Ins. Co. | 7/2/20 1/31/21 | Head, neck, right shoulder, low back, bilateral hips, and left knee | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $54,000.00 | Evans, Alex Olson, Wayne
Glacier Law Firm |
Smith, Jeffrey
Neilson, Smith, Dietrich PLLC |
| Samantha Johnson v. Technology Ins. Co. Inc. | 7/26/23 | Right lower extremity | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $7,500.00 | Evans, Alex
Glacier Law Firm |
Harrington, Thomas
Laird Cowley PLLC |
| Sandra Skalka v. Employers Preferred Ins. Co. | 8/4/25 | Left wrist; chest | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $13,000.00 | Murphy, Tommy
Murphy Law Firm |
Smith, Jeffery
Neilson, Smith, Dietrich PLLC |
| Barbara Stevens v. American Liberty Ins. Co. | 10/18/22 | Low back; SI joint | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $21,104.00 | Rasmusson, Eric
Rasmusson Law Offices, PLLC |
Vukonich, Danielle
Ritsema Law |
| Dennis Willson v. Indemnity Ins. Co. of North America | 3/28/12 4/18/13 1/23/14 10/23/17 | Elbow; wrist; upper back; low back | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $60,000.00 | Tempel-St. John, Stacy
Fair Claim Lawyers |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
ESD Settlements Approved through July 10, 2026
PLAN 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Anderson, Cody | 5/19/26 | Knee | Disputed Initial Compensability | $10,000.00 | None |
| Letellier, Pam | 7/7/05 | Knee | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $198,250.00 | Helmer, Chris |
| Old Elk, Shawndae | 5/10/26 | Low back | Best Interests | $7,000.00 | None |
PLAN 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Everette Deryl | 1/14/26 | Soft tissue | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $6,000.00 | None |
| Hall, Pam | 12/23/24 | Shoulder(s) | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $4,000.00 | None |
| Hassett, Jaime | 12/5/25 | Buttocks | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $18,500.00 | Murphy, Matthew |
| Heckel, Gabriel | 7/28/24 | Shoulder(s) | Best Interests | $70,000.00 | Blackaby, Dean |
| Jacobson, Jill | 4/13/25 | Multiple upper extremities | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Reserved | $7,750.00 | None |
| Lyford, Brad | 1/5/26 | Shoulder(s) | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $90,000.00 | Blackaby, Dean |
| Marquardt, Dreux | 4/13/26 | Shoulder(s) | Permanent Total – Best Interests | $25,000.00 | Overturf, Greg |
| Rodriguez, Zoe | 4/8/26 | Ankle | Disputed Initial Compensability | $5,000.00 | None |
| Schaffer, Roy | 4/30/24 | Knee | Best Interests | $76,000.00 | Murphy, Matthew |
| Strong, Joshua | 7/15/25 | Multiple body parts | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $20,000.00 | None |
PLAN 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Brown, Ardith | 4/12/24 | Low back | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Reserved | $27,500.00 | Thomas, Kenneth |
| Hempstead, Mindy | 11/24/24 | Skull | Best Interests | $10,000.00 | None |
| Hoffman, Ashley | 3/11/24 | Ear(s) | Best Interests | $25,000.00 | None |
| Kenmir, Adam | 7/24/25 | Pelvis | Best Interests | $5,255.00 | None |
| Lepree, Lyle | 11/26/25 | Facial bones | Best Interests | $75,000.00 | None |
| Larkin, Nicholas | 4/21/26 | Internal organs | Disputed Initial Compensability | $2,000.00 | None |
| Mawhinney, Douglas | 5/27/11 | Soft Tissue | Other – Single Issue | $3,585.00 | None |
| Reeves, Douglas | 8/5/24 | Low back | Best Interests | $34,000.00 | None |
| Stewart, Elizabeth | 5/4/24 | Wrist | Disputed Initial Compensability | $15,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
| Stout, Christine | 10/4/24 | Hand | Best Interests | $45,000.00 | Braukmann, Matt |
| Toomey, Heather | 7/23/25 | Ankle | Best Interests | $5,500.00 | None |
| Unrein, Chelsee | 12/28/24 | Foot | Best Interests | $55,000.00 | Evans, Alex |
Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
- The Court’s current docket is dominated by dispositive motions rather than trials.
There were no published decisions during the reporting period, but there are at least nine dispositive motions awaiting decision, including multiple motions for summary judgment and partial summary judgment. This indicates the Court is actively resolving significant legal issues through pretrial motion practice rather than waiting for full trials.
Practical implication:
- Attorneys should expect additional written opinions over the next several months that may clarify unsettled areas of Montana workers’ compensation law.
- Summary judgment briefing continues to be an increasingly important litigation skill in WCC practice.
- Disputed compensability continues to generate substantial settlement value.
Several settlements involved disputed initial compensability rather than merely disputes over benefits.
Examples include:
- Federal Express shoulder claim — $80,000 (including an $18,818 Medicare Set-Aside annuity)
- Anderson knee claim — $10,000
- Rodriguez ankle claim — $5,000
- Larkin internal organs claim — $2,000
- Stewart wrist claim — $15,000
Insight
Montana insurers continue to resolve questionable liability cases through negotiated settlements instead of litigating every compensability dispute.
For claimant attorneys, this reinforces the value of developing liability evidence early, even before expensive medical litigation develops.
- Medicals Closed remains the dominant settlement structure.
Among both WCC stipulations and Employment Standards Division settlements, the overwhelming majority involved:
- Full & Final settlements
- Medical benefits closed
- Complete resolution of future liability
Only a small number reserved medical benefits or involved “Best Interests” settlements.
Practice point
This suggests insurers remain highly motivated to obtain complete claim closure.
Claimant counsel should therefore:
- Carefully quantify future treatment
- Evaluate Medicare implications
- Use future exposure when negotiating settlement value
- Upper extremity and spinal injuries continue to dominate higher-value settlements.
Reviewing the settlement summaries shows recurring injury patterns:
Most common high-value injuries
- Shoulder
- Low back
- Wrist
- Knee
- Multi-body orthopedic injuries
Examples include:
- Multiple shoulder settlements ranging from $70,000–$90,000
- Low back settlements exceeding $20,000–$60,000
- Multi-injury claims settling for $54,000–$60,000
Why this matters
These continue to be the body parts most associated with:
- surgery
- impairment ratings
- wage-loss exposure
- future medical costs
They remain the highest-risk categories for insurers and the most valuable categories for claimant representation.
- Several plaintiff firms continue to appear repeatedly in significant settlements.
The settlement data show recurring appearances by several claimant firms and attorneys, including:
- Murphy Law Firm
- Glacier Law Firm
- Fair Claim Lawyers
- Montana Work Comp Solutions
Likewise, defense representation repeatedly includes:
- Crowley Fleck PLLP
- Neilson Smith Dietrich PLLC
- Laird Cowley PLLC
Competitive insight
Although the sample is limited, the recurring appearance of these firms suggests they continue to handle a significant share of litigated Montana workers’ compensation matters. Monitoring these reports over time could identify trends in:
- settlement values by attorney,
- insurer litigation strategies,
- frequency of contested claims, and
- emerging practice patterns.
Overall takeaway
The July 2026 report reflects several broader trends in Montana workers’ compensation practice:
- The WCC is heavily engaged in pretrial motion practice, with important dispositive rulings likely forthcoming.
- Insurers continue to pay meaningful sums to resolve disputed compensability cases, particularly when litigation risk is significant.
- Complete claim closure remains the preferred settlement model, emphasizing the importance of accurately valuing future medical exposure.
- Orthopedic claims—especially shoulders, backs, knees, and wrists—continue to drive the largest settlements.
- Settlement reports can serve as valuable competitive intelligence, helping practitioners benchmark case values, identify active counsel, and monitor insurer resolution patterns.
