Bretz & Young

Exceptional Kansas personal injury attorneys with a proven track record of success

If you have been injured in an accident in Kansas, you need a lawyer who understands the state's legal system and knows how to get results. You need a law firm that believes its clients' best interests should always come first. You need Bretz & Young.

Located in Hutchinson, Salina, Wichita, Garden City, Dodge City, Liberal, Hays, and serving injury victims throughout Kansas and beyond, Bretz & Young handles a wide range of personal injury cases, from car accidents to worker's compensation, Social Security Disability and more. We do not rest until justice is served.

We win large verdicts and settlements for injury victims. Our law firm has recovered more than $230 million for people seriously injured in accidents and their families, including $6 million for clients previously represented by other attorneys who dropped or rejected their cases. One of our wrongful death cases resulted in a $50 million settlement. Visit our case results page to find out how we've helped others.
Learn more about the attorneys at Kansas law firm Bretz & Young

We have carefully assembled a top-notch legal team to help injury victims just like you successfully resolve the most complicated cases. Our experienced attorneys, valued paralegals and other staff members include:

Matthew L. Bretz, Attorney at Law
Melinda G. Young, Attorney at Law
Ethan S. Kaplan, Attorney at Law (Of Counsel)
Larry A. Bolton, Attorney at Law (Of Counsel)
Ashley Dyer, Records Analyst
Jessica Ediger, Registered Nurse
Gracie Grajeda, Bilingual Records Analyst
Nick Hemphill, Client & Community Relations
Marlene Henkle, Bookkeeper
Jenna Hensley, Paralegal
Colleen Johnson, Paralegal
Vickie Lohmeyer, Paralegal
Amy Long, Client & Community Relations
Ivonne Marroquin, Bilingual Paralegal
Lauren Raigoza, Paralegal

Why should I hire Bretz & Young law firm to handle my case?

An accident involving negligence can create a protracted dispute. You will need an experienced Kansas personal injury attorney on your side, protecting your rights. We will make sure your case receives the attention it rightfully deserves. This starts with your free consultation.
We wrote the book on personal injury law

There is a common perception that there are a lot of frivolous injury claims. Lawyers who lack integrity, and clients who exaggerate their injuries, feed this perception, making it impossible for them and for many others to obtain a fair result in the event of an injury.

We take a different approach. We work tirelessly every single day to overcome this common perception. When we work with clients, we're brutally honest and fair, and we demonstrate absolute integrity throughout our handling of a case. We explain our approach in our 2014 book entitled, And Justice for All: Win Your Injury Case with Honesty and Integrity.

By representing clients in this manner, we frequently convince insurance adjusters and jurors to help our client rather than believing that our case is just another frivolous claim.

In our book, we explain step by step the process we follow in most personal injury cases. The legal justice system can be difficult and confusing. We want to demystify the process, change perceptions, and consistently deliver fair results for clients - one case at a time.
How We Are Different...

Reason 1
Reason 2
Reason 3

Reason 1: We care about you.

We are a different breed of trial attorneys. The bulk of our professional time is spent getting medical treatment for our clients, and getting medical bills and lost wages paid. You can reach us at our office between about 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Our clients are our friends and have our cell numbers and email addresses. They can reach us there about 20 hours a day, 7 days a week! Our goals are to help you recover from your injuries, and to make the community a safer and better place. We're here for you when you need us most.

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Reason 2: We give back to our community

We don't just work here. This is our home. We established The Bretz & Young Charitable Foundation to continue community service work into the future. We give back by serving on boards for organizations like United Way, TECH (The Training and Evaluation Center of Hutchinson), Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Center, and Communities that Care. A portion of the fees from every settlement or judgment we obtain goes to community charitable organizations such as United Way, Red Cross, TECH, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Early Education, the Cancer Council of Reno County, Hospice, and area schools. Our attorneys and staff donate blood regularly and participate in community events. And we provide books to every toddler and preschool child in the Buhler and Haven school districts through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Our actions demonstrate how much we truly care about our community.

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Reason 3: We are making Kansas a safer place to live.

Our primary concern in every case is whether we are meeting our client's immediate and future needs. But we also believe that thoughtful and zealous representation can go beyond helping our clients though difficult situations - we can make safer communities by standing up to injustices and improving the well-being of the people who make these communities their home. Because of our cases and advocacy efforts, trains now have ditch lights mounted at the height of car windshields to help reduce the possibility of collisions. A Kansas hospital has new procedures to prevent medication errors. And redesigned wheels are used on motorcycles so that the rims of the tires don't break.

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Our Team

Ashley Dyer, Records Analyst

Ashley Dyer is a Kansas native who moved to Hutchinson in 2010 after spending her childhood in Oklahoma. Before joining the firm in 2019 she worked in nursing and healthcare, earning CNA, CMA, and HHA degrees. Ashley applies that background to her work as a records analyst, compiling and reviewing medical records for our clients. She considers it a privilege to help clients through the difficult times that follow their injuries. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her children riding horses, going to the lake and just being outdoors.

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Jessica Ediger, Registered Nurse

Jessica is a native of Amarillo, Texas who moved to Kansas in 1986. She has been in the Hutchinson area since 2007. Jessica earned her Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) from Pratt Community College Nursing School in 1997. Jessica enjoys using her 21 years of experience as a Registered Nurse to help everyone at Bretz & Young better understand the medical issues and needs facing our clients. When she isn't working, Jessica enjoys being outside, gardening, heading to the lake, and spending time with her husband and children.

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Gracie Grajeda, Bilingual Paralegal

Gracie was born in Chicago and moved to Jalisco, Mexico as a teenager. She completed two years of law school at one of the top universities in Mexico - Universidad de Guadalajara. Gracie moved to Hutchinson with her husband in 2006. She completed an Associate's Degree in Paralegal Studies at Hutchinson Community College in 2013. Before coming to Bretz & Young, Gracie worked as a Paralegal in the collection industry, assisting with defense litigation and the drafting of policies according to federal consumer protection laws. When she is not assisting both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking clients, she enjoys volunteer work with Holy Cross Catholic School.

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Nick Hemphill, Client & Community Relations

Nick is a Reno County native who joined Bretz & Young in 2019. He has extensive experience in photography, videography, information technology and web development, which he uses to help the firm stay connected to our clients and the community. Nick loves working at Bretz & Young because he believes strongly in our mission of helping those who are truly in need of capable and compassionate advocates. When he is not working, Nick enjoys taking photos and videos around the community, fostering his daughter's growing love of photography, and spending time with family.

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Marlene Henkle, Bookkeeper

Marlene is a Kansas native who recently transitioned from Wichita to Hutchinson. She joined Bretz & Young in 2019, bringing more than 30 years of experience in bookkeeping and accounting. She enjoys working as part of the collegial team at Bretz & Young. When she is not working, Marlene enjoys bowling, home improvement projects, and landscaping.

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Jenna Hensley, Paralegal

Jenna is a native of Lyons, Kansas and has been in Hutchinson since 2004. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Friend's University in Wichita. Jenna joined the firm in 2013, and handles primarily civil litigation cases. She enjoys being able to relieve clients' stress by helping them through difficult situations. Outside of work, Jenna spends time with her husband and jogs, and enjoys a variety of artistic endeavors.

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Colleen Johnson, Paralegal

Colleen has lived in the Hutchinson area for most of her life. Prior to joining the firm in 2009, she spent over 20 years working in medical offices filing insurance claims and managing patient accounts. Colleen greatly enjoys working in the legal profession and finds it very satisfying to help clients with their personal injury claims. In her free time, Colleen enjoys outdoor activities, reading and spending time with her husband and family.

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Vickie Lohmeyer, Paralegal

Vickie is a native of Kansas and graduate of Cranford Business College. She also earned an Associate's Degree from Hutchinson Community College. Vickie joined the firm as a receptionist and bookkeeper in 2006. A year later, her passion for helping clients lead Vickie to become a paralegal as well - she assists with all types of injury claims. Vickie is the Board President of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and she serves as a "big" for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She is also active in the Step up for KIDS and the Downs Syndrome Society of Wichita programs. When she is not working or volunteering, Vickie enjoys reading, quilting and spending time with her husband and grandchildren.

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Amy Long, Client & Community Relations

Amy moved to Hutchinson in 2008 and started at Bretz & Young in 2014. She earned her B.A. from Hanover College in Indiana and her Master's Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. She loves being a part of the intake team, where she provides new clients with helpful information and lets them know that they don't have to go it alone. Amy also keeps the firm connected to the community through the office's many outreach and service efforts. She is active in the community, volunteering with the Cancer Council and Communities that Care. She and her husband also lead the youth group at Grace Episcopal Church. Amy enjoys coffee, theatre, and spending time with her family.

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Ivonne Marroquin, Bilingual Paralegal

Ivonne was born in Morelia, Mexico. She attended law school at Universidad Michoacana de San Nicholas de Hidalgo and graduated with her Law and Social Sciences degree in 2000. That same year, she moved to Hutchinson. Before joining the Bretz & Young team, Ivonne spent ten years working for U.S.D. 308 in Hutchinson as a teacher, translator and interpreter. She also taught at Hutchinson Community College. Ivonne completed a degree in Paralegal Studies at Hutchinson Community College and joined Bretz & Young in 2017. Ivonne works closely with the firm's Spanish-speaking clients and assists with all types of injury claims. When she is not at work, Ivonne enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren.

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Lauren Raigoza, Paralegal

Lauren is a Hutchinson native, and she began working at Bretz & Young in 2012. She earned her Associate's Degree in Paralegal Studies from Hutchinson Community College, and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management at Friends University. Lauren is passionate about helping people who need assistance and holding wrongdoers accountable for their actions. When she is not working, Lauren spends her free time with her husband and children.

Locations	No. of Attorneys
Hutchinson,	4

Practice Areas	No. of Attorneys
Insurance Coverage	1
Labor & Employment	1
Litigation	2
Litigation - Mass Torts	2
Litigation - Medical Malpractice	2
Real Estate	2
Trusts and Estates	4
Workers Compensation	1