Settlements: Disputed Liability

MONTANA SUPREME COURT DECISIONS
 
MONTANA WORKERS' COMPENSATION COURT DECISIONS
McLaughlin v. Northwestern Corp. [03/14/11] 2011 MTWCC 9 Where a case is settled on a disputed liability basis and the injury’s existence is in contention, whether an injury occurred for purposes of the hiring preference statute, § 39-71-317, MCA, is a disputed fact, precluding dismissal or summary judgment.
Johnson v. Liberty Northwest [02/07/07] 2007 MTWCC 7 It is not inconsistent for a petitioner to bring a claim in the alternative against two employers, settle with one on a disputed liability basis, and then proceed against the other. Having settled on a disputed liability basis, the settlement is, by definition, uncertain or undetermined as it pertains to the other employer. Therefore, judicial estoppel does not apply.