Everyone who applies for a driver’s license must meet the requirements set forth by the Kansas Department of Revenue Division of Vehicles, including completion of a 25-question test, an eye exam, and the actual driving test. If you pass, you will be issued a license.
However, you will not officially be able to hit the road until you obtain an insurance policy. The auto insurance requirements in Kansas are designed to keep you and everyone you drive covered for any losses in the event of a car accident.
Along with every state (except New Hampshire), Kansas requires its drivers to maintain a minimum level of automobile insurance. There are three components for insurance for Kansas drivers. Those are liability coverage, personal injury, and uninsured/underinsured bodily injury. Each component has different minimum levels, but they can all be part of the same single policy.
Liability Coverage
As far as insurance companies and courts are concerned, liability refers to responsibility. In other words, who is to blame for an accident? Having liability insurance protects you from having to pay out of your pocket for an accident you might be liable for, even if it was unintentional.
For instance, you could be driving on icy roads and lose control of your car. You could slam into a parked car or the car in front of you. That results in damage and possible injury. You didn’t mean to cause the accident but would still be liable for those damages. Your liability coverage can pay for those damages. The minimum liability coverage required for Kansas drivers is the following:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
- $25,000 per accident for property damage
Personal Injury Protection
Personal injury protection (PIP) is meant to cover your medical expenses for you and all your passengers, whether they are in your immediate family or not. Kansas is a no-fault state. That means your insurance must pay your medical bills regardless of who is at fault. You might receive those benefits before the final determination of liability is resolved.
Personal injury protection is also part of your insurance policy, which covers lost wages in case the accident injuries prevent you from returning to work. The benefits will be a portion of your monthly salary for up to twelve months.
PIP also provides funds for any type of rehabilitation therapy, help around the house, and funeral benefits. It also pays out survivor benefits equal to one year of lost wage benefits.
Here are the minimums for personal injury protection:
- $4,500 per person for medical expenses
- $900 per month for one year for disability/loss of income
- $25 per day for substitution benefits
- $2,000 for funeral, burial or cremation expenses
- $4,500 for rehabilitation expenses to train for re-employment
- $900 per month for one year for disability/loss-of-income survivor benefits
- $25 per day for up to one year for substitution benefits
The costs for your medical expenses might go beyond what your PIP coverage can pay for. Once your PIP benefits have been exhausted, your healthcare provider should take over the payments. However, not every health insurance policy pays for car accidents. They would prefer your PIP to pay for all of it. You want to check your health insurance policy to see what it covers.
Uninsured / Underinsured Bodily Injury
Although there is a requirement to have car insurance in Kansas, not every motorist has a policy, or their policy might recently have lapsed. This part of your insurance will cover your medical bills and property losses if you get into an accident with an uninsured motorist. Here are the minimums:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
Exceeding Limits
As mentioned, the Kansas Insurance Department outlines how car owners here must meet minimum insurance requirements. However, you don’t have to stick with the minimums. You can expand your coverage by doubling or tripling your benefits level. That will mean higher premiums, but that falls under the category of “better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
Some of those supplemental policies can be among the following:
- Rental Reimbursement: This coverage provides your reimbursement for rental car charges if you can’t drive your car because it is in the shop being repaired or it has been classified as totaled. Typically, these policies are not unlimited. You won’t be reimbursed for a rental car for several months.
- Excess Medical Payments Coverage: This would supplement your PIP policy to pay for additional medical expenses that your personal healthcare insurance doesn’t cover.
- Umbrella Liability Policy: An umbrella supplemental policy can provide upwards of $1 million to $5 million that would protect you from any liability issues as the result of an accident.
Remember that you also need to carry proof of that insurance along with the minimum insurance coverage. You need that when you drive and when you renew your car’s registration.
Getting Those Benefits
Just because you have insurance doesn’t automatically mean you will get the benefits. Insurance companies are notorious for not wanting to pay benefits. When you start the claims process, it will help to discuss the accident with a Kansas car accident attorney from Prochaska, Howell & Prochaska LLC. We can provide you with information to help ensure you’re filing the claim form out properly. We can also assist with appealing denials, which could lead to a lawsuit filing.
We’ll be with you every step of the way. Call to set up a free consultation to discuss your options.
