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 |
Upcoming Trials, Hearings & Conferences
| Date | Time | Place | Issue | Case |
| 9/9/26 | 10:00 am | Via Zoom | Perpetuation Deposition of Dr. Hyman | Krueger v. Clear Spring Prop. & Cas. Co. |
Montana Workers’ Compensation Stipulations Summary (through June 18, 2026)
PLAN 1
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Kathleen Barlow v. Costco Wholesale Corp. | 1/11/24 | Bilateral CTS; bilateral shoulders | Full and Final – Medicals Closed | $125,000.00 | Adam, Paul
Gerstner Adam Law |
Bell, Tom
Laird Cowley, PLLC |
PLAN 2
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Kaitlyn Cox v. Victory Ins.Co. | 2/24/26 | Foot | Disputed Initial Compensability | $16,000.00 | Miller, Megan
Fair Claim Law |
Maynard, Joe
Crowley Fleck PLLP |
PLAN 3
| Case Name | DOI | Body Part(s) | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Petitioner Attorney | Respondent Attorney |
| Leslie McMaster v. Montana State Fund | 7/31/25 | Undisclosed | Resolution of Penalty | $5,000.00 | McKenna, Sydney
McKenna & Starin Trial Attorneys, PLLC |
Meyer, Mark
Montana State Fund |
ESD Settlements Approved through June 12, 2026
PLAN 1
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Carbonell, Shelby | 12/23/21 | Vertebrae | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Closed | $50,000.00 | McKenna, Sydney |
| Rivas, Gomez | 3/13/26 | Multiple body system | Disputed Initial Compensability | $7,000.00 | None |
PLAN 2
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Hernandez, Josh | 1/3/19 | Low back | Best Interests | $75,000.00 | Evans, Alex |
PLAN 3
| Claimant Name | DOI | Body Part | Settlement Type | Settlement Amount | Attorney Name |
| Bechtold, Joseph | 7/7/25 | Low Back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $14,500.00 | Helmer, Chris |
| Carelock, April | 9/10/25 | Lower back | Best Interests | $2,500.00 | None |
| Devincenzi, Keith | 10/26/23 | Multiple lower extremities | Best Interests | $4,100.00 | None |
| Gill, Monica | 12/27/23 | Hand | Petition for Settlement – Medicals Reserved | $8,500.00 | None |
| Hoyt, Wayne | 4/24/26 | Internal organs | Disputed Initial Compensability | $1,200.00 | None |
| Nathanson, Taylor | 3/11/24 | Upper back | Best Interests | $75,000.00 | Evans, Alex |
| Neumyer, Brandon | 3/2/26 | Low back | Disputed Initial Compensability | $11,000.00 | Dalpiaz, Leslae |
| Pace, Billie | 1/12/26 | Body system | Disputed Initial Compensability | $100,000.00 | Murphy, Tommy |
| Squires, Eric | 5/29/25 | Skull | Best Interests | $4,000.00 | None |
Key Insights for Montana Work Comp Professionals
- The Court’s current docket is being driven by dispositive motions rather than trials
There were no reported decisions during the reporting period, but multiple matters are awaiting rulings on summary judgment motions, including Rutledge v. Technology Insurance, Crisler v. Zurich, Parker/Leggitt v. Safeway, and Guitron v. UEF. This suggests that many litigated claims are currently focused on threshold legal issues and case-dispositive motions rather than evidentiary hearings.
- Discovery disputes remain active in litigated claims
The Parker/Leggitt v. Safeway matter includes a pending dispute involving a motion to compel and objection to overbroad discovery. This reflects the continuing importance of discovery management and proportionality arguments in Montana workers’ compensation litigation.
- Significant value continues to be attached to full medical closures
The largest reported stipulation was $125,000 in Barlow v. Costco, involving bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and bilateral shoulder conditions, settled on a full-and-final basis with medical benefits closed. Likewise, an ESD settlement involving a vertebral injury resulted in a $50,000 medical closure settlement. These figures illustrate the substantial value insurers continue to place on eliminating future medical exposure.
- Disputed initial compensability claims are settling across all plan types
Several settlements involved disputed initial compensability, including:
- Cox (foot injury) – $16,000
- Rivas (multiple body systems) – $7,000
- Bechtold (low back) – $14,500
- Hoyt (internal organs) – $1,200
- Neumyer (low back) – $11,000
- Pace (body system injury) – $100,000
This demonstrates that compensability disputes remain a major driver of settlements and that valuation varies dramatically depending upon injury severity, exposure, and litigation risk.
- Low-back claims continue to generate some of the highest settlement values
Among the ESD settlements, low-back and spine-related claims produced several of the largest recoveries:
- Hernandez (low back) – $75,000
- Nathanson (upper back) – $75,000
- Carbonell (vertebrae) – $50,000
- Bechtold (low back) – $14,500
The continued prominence of spinal claims in the settlement data reflects the ongoing cost of treatment, impairment considerations, and potential wage-loss exposure associated with back injuries in Montana workers’ compensation claims.
Overall Takeaway
The report shows a system currently characterized by: (1) heavy use of summary judgment practice, (2) continued litigation over compensability and discovery issues, and (3) substantial settlement values where future medical liability or significant spinal injuries are involved. The data also suggests that medical-closure settlements remain one of the primary tools used by parties to achieve final claim resolution.
