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 |
| 7/29/26 | 10:00 am | Helena | Hearing | Mullenbach v. Montana State Fund |
| 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. |
| 11/6/26 | 8:30 am | Missoula | Trial | Wheeler v. Montana State Fund |
| Week of
11/16/26 |
9:00 am | Butte | Trial | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (through July 23, 2026)
PLAN 1
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Thomas Schafer v. Stillwater Mining Co. | 10/27/03; 4/27/21; 7/3/19; 4/26/19; 4/4/19; 8/30/12 | Lower leg; upper back; ears; shoulders; neck; and eye; | Full and Final – Disputed Initial Compensability | $75,000.00 | Haynes, Michael
Joyce, MacDonald, Haynes & Johnston, PLLP |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Kelly Cofield v. Great American Ins. Co. / Strategic Comp. | 3/11/26 | Left hip; bilateral hands; | Full and Final – Disputed Initial Compensability | $87,500.00 | Snipes, Ben
Kovacich Snipes Johnson PC |
Bell, Tom
Laird Cowley, PLLC |
| Brian Hughes v. Hartford Indemnity Co. | 12/10/24; 7/8/25; | Low back | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $50,000.00 | Tempel-St. John, Stacy
Fair Claim Lawyers |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
| Alyna Thiel v. Employers Preferred Ins. Co. | 8/2/25; | Right shoulder | Full and Final – Disputed Initial Compensability | $37,500.00 | Quale, Melissa
Dalpiaz & Associates |
Smith, Jeffrey
Neilson, Smith, Dietrich PLLC |
ESD Settlements Approved through July 17, 2026
PLAN 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Dunlap, Johnnie | 3/28/24 | Shoulder(s) | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $62,000.00 | None |
| Richard, William | 2/25/13 | Shoulder(s) | Other – Denied Parts of Body Settled | $15,000.00 | None |
PLAN 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Garza, Guadalupe | 4/21/26 | Shoulder(s) | Disputed Initial Compensability | $6,000.00 | Quale, Melissa |
| Watts, David | 8/14/24 | Disc | Best Interests | $60,000.00 | None |
| McCormick, Zander | 4/3/25 | Knee | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $2,250.00 | None |
| Stevens, Bruce | 1/1/08 | Low back | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $12,500.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
PLAN 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Anthony-Bechtold, Cherie | 12/17/25 | Hand | Disputed Initial Compensability | $3,000.00 | Helmer, Chris |
| Sperry, Jacob | 8/15/24 | Upper back | Best Interests | $62,500.00 | Overturf, Lea |
| Smith, Susan | 5/23/26 | Upper back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $7,300.00 | None |
| Creason, Harold | 9/26/24 | Internal organs | Best Interests | $12,200.00 | None |
| Martinez, Hector | 7/5/25 | Elbow | Best Interests | $1,000.00 | None |
| Drivdahl, Joel | 3/31/26 | Internal organs | Disputed Initial Compensability | $18,000.00 | None |
| Rodseth, Abby | 7/17/25 | Knee | Best Interests | $1,060.00 | None |
| Loomis, John | 2/25/21 | Wrist | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Reserved | $30,000.00 | None |
| James, Noah | 9/13/24 | Ankle | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $18,500.00 | Murphy, Tommy |
| Smith, Jordus | 7/5/24 | Upper back | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $20,000.00 | None |
| Mellor, Georgia | 8/4/25 | Facial bones | Best Interests | $17,500.00 | None |
| Higgins, Rachell | 4/21/25 | Low back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $8,000.00 | Bulman, Thomas |
| Perry, Wyatt | 4/21/26 | Upper back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $6,500.00 | Helmer, Chris |
| Elushik, Christopher | 2/5/24 | Elbow | Best Interests | $3,800.00 | None |
| Nichols, Benjamin | 9/29/24 | Low back | Best Interests | $8,950.00 | None |
Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
- The Montana Workers’ Compensation Court remains procedurally active despite issuing no new decisions.
Although there were no published decisions during this reporting period, the Court has a substantial number of dispositive motions under submission, including multiple summary judgment motions in Rutledge, Crisler, Parker/Leggitt, Guitron, and Wheeler. This suggests several potentially significant precedential decisions may be forthcoming. - Disputed initial compensability continues to drive substantial settlements.
Several of the largest reported settlements involve disputed initial compensability, including:
Kelly Cofield – $87,500
Thomas Schafer – $75,000
Alyna Thiel – $37,500
This trend indicates insurers continue to place significant value on resolving exposure before compensability questions are litigated through trial.
- The Court’s upcoming trial calendar highlights cases practitioners should monitor.
The calendar reflects several matters likely to produce important rulings, particularly:
- Krueger v. Clear Spring Property & Casualty Co., which includes multiple perpetuation depositions before trial.
- Wheeler v. Montana State Fund, scheduled for trial in November.
These cases may generate opinions affecting litigation strategy later this year.
4. ESD settlement values remain highly variable, reinforcing the importance of claim-specific valuation.
The Employment Standards Division approved settlements ranging from approximately $1,000 to more than $62,000, depending on injury type, compensability issues, and whether medical benefits remained open or closed. The broad range underscores that settlement value is driven by medical exposure and litigation risk rather than injury classification alone.
- Shoulder, back, and orthopedic claims continue to dominate settlements.
The reported court stipulations and ESD settlements are heavily concentrated in:
- Shoulder injuries
- Low back and upper back conditions
- Knee injuries
- Hand and upper extremity claims
This pattern continues the longstanding trend that musculoskeletal injuries comprise the majority of litigated and settled Montana workers’ compensation claims.
