Paintsville, KY

Kyle Salyer

I grew up in Johnson County and eastern Kentucky, all the way through Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes. After law school at Valparaiso University in Indiana, I came straight back to Kentucky to practice personal injury law. All I wanted to do was help people from my home, my Kentucky neighbors when they’ve been hurt by others. Over the years, I learned how to win clients the compensation they deserve to get their lives back on track-even if it means going to trial. In fact, I dedicated myself to learning everything I could about trying cases in front of juries. It takes a lot of Kentucky Courage™ for everyday Kentuckians to go to court, and I’m proud to stay by their side in the fight. In 2018, I joined forces with Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer. I added the Paintsville office to the firm’s six other offices around Kentucky-so I can help even more Kentucky families. I help people hurt from car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, defective products, medical malpractice, slips and falls and workplace accidents.

Roy Collins

The state motto of Kentucky is: “United we stand. Divided we fall.” That principle really guides the strength and Kentucky Courage™™ of Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer. When I graduated from law school, I started my legal career working for a law firm that defended insurance companies and lawsuits filed against a major retailer. I quickly grew tired of watching big companies keep injured Kentuckians from getting the help they needed after an injury. After four years, I quit. Since then, I’ve dedicated my career to helping people who have been hurt by others. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t make the change sooner to helping ordinary, hardworking Kentuckians. At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, I’m the managing partner. I’ve been with the firm since 2000. I focus on helping you if you were injured in a car accident, a truck accident or with a premises liability case. At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, we treat all of our Kentucky clients as family.

Phillip Blair

Phillip Blair is an experienced litigator focusing on personal injury, workers compensation, and Social Security. He returned to Eastern Kentucky after law school to serve his community. He has secured millions of dollars in recoveries for clients, including a seven-figure settlement less than two years after graduating. He is licensed in Kentucky and West Virginia.

Bruce Bentley

I’m Bruce Bentley, an attorney at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer. I believe in working hard and helping ordinary people who are going through a difficult ordeal and struggling to make ends meet. My law practice focuses on helping people who have been involved in personal injury accidents such as car accidents or truck accidents or other accidents caused by another driver. I recognize that most of my clients have found themselves in difficult situations through no fault of their own. Often, their injuries have caused them to miss work and lose their job and lose their insurance. Frequently, accident victims are having difficulty receiving the medical treatment they need because of insurance policy exclusions or an insurance provider’s refusal to approve the needed treatment. When insurance companies mistreat people, it doesn’t sit well with me. My priority is to determine how I’m going to help each person recover as much as possible and be treated fairly. That is where my negotiating skills and two decades of litigation experience are crucial. I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a group composed of attorneys who have achieved settlements or jury awards of at least $1 million. When I first meet a client, I try to make a good impression that I’m going to work hard for them and answer their questions, even if it’s not the answer they want to hear. I’ve learned that if you work hard and tell them the truth, at the end of the day they will have respect and think well of you. Most people know when you are working hard for them. It’s best to be upfront and direct with folks. They respect that. There are times when people have life-changing injuries and I’ve been able to make a recovery to really change the life of a parent or child for the better. When you have made a real difference in how a person’s life is going to be led, that is special. That is the stuff that at the end of the career makes it worth doing.

John C. Kirk

John C. Kirk is an attorney at Kirk & Crum, PLLC, focusing on car accidents, truck accidents, premises liability, and product liability, as well as environmental law, including coal, oil, gas, and mineral leases. He is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Academy of Trial Attorneys, and Kentucky Justice Association.

Kentucky is my home. I love this state and its people and think it’s the best state in America. I started my career working for an insurance defense firm that defended doctors in medical malpractice litigation. However, I quickly realized I would rather help people instead of companies. It feels much better to help people in need get compensation than to help a company keep people from getting what they deserve. You never know when you or a member of your family may need help. If I were not able to help my family I would sure hope that someone in my position would help them. I sleep better at night knowing the work we do at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer helps keep Kentucky’s communities a little bit safer and better. I’ve been with Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer since 2009 and focus on Civil Trial Practice, Products Liability, Professional Negligence and Auto Injury Litigation.

John W. Kirk

John W. Kirk is the founder of Kirk & Crum, PLLC. He has experience as a public school teacher, state attorney, newspaper columnist, owner, and publisher, and a plaintiff's attorney. He handles cases including car accidents, insurance bad faith, premises liability, product liability, social security disability, workers' compensation, wrongful death, mining injuries, mineral rights, and fire and other types of insurance loss.