Kansas Auto Insurance Quotes and
Coverage Guide
Kansas Motor Vehicle Insurance
Questions & AnswersQ: Is
auto insurance mandatory?
A: Only if the latest tornado hasn’t
displaced you permanently in Oz. If you’re safe and
sound and still in Kansas, proof of insurance is
required to be presented when a vehicle registration
(license plate) is issued or renewed. You can show
your original policy or a copy, but it must have the
name of the insurance company; the policy number;
name of the insured; the effective and expiration
dates of coverage; and the year, make, and VIN of
your vehicle. The broom from the Wicked Witch of the
West is not acceptable proof, so you might as well
leave that at Auntie Em’s farm.
Q: Is Kansas a "no-fault" state?
A: Yes, Kansas is what is known as a
“no-fault” state. This does not mean you can click
your heels together and take off for Oz if you get
into a wreck. It does mean that each insurance
policyholder’s coverage will take care of minor
injuries regardless of who caused the wreck.
However, if injuries are severe, you could still get
sued.
Q: What type of insurance is required to purchase
and maintain a Kansas tag and registration?
A: Under Kansas law, unless you only drive
down the Yellow Brick Road and nowhere else, your
automobile insurance policy must have these minimum
coverages:
-- Bodily Injury & Property Damage Liability:
$25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per
accident for bodily injury, and $10,000 per accident
for property damage
-- Personal Injury Protection (PIP or No-Fault):
$4,500 per person for medical expenses,
$900 per month for one year for disability/loss of
income, $25 per day for in-home assistance, $2,000
for funeral, burial or cremation expenses, and
$4,500 rehabilitation expenses
-- Survivor Benefits: Disability/loss of income up
to $900 per month for one year, in-home assistance
up to $25 per day for one year
-- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection:
$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Q: Why do I have to buy Personal Injury
Protection (PIP)?
A: Because the Wizard said so. And because it
a) provides a means of compensating persons promptly
for accidental bodily injury and, b) it lowers the
cost of automobile insurance by reducing the number
of lawsuits involving minor claims. Personal Injury
Protection covers you, your passengers, relatives
residing in your household and other non-owner
Kansas residents hurt in a wreck caused by your
vehicle. But remember: It applies to personal
injuries only, and does not include damage to
property, so don’t call your agent when the Wicked
Witch of the East falls on your house, rolls off the
roof, and dents your car.
Q: Why do I have to have uninsured/underinsured
coverage?
A: Despite Kansas’ compulsory automobile
insurance law, some munchkins, er, rather, drivers,
don’t maintain their coverage. In order to protect
you, Kansas law requires insurance companies to
provide coverage for you if you are injured by an
uninsured or underinsured driver. But like the PIP,
this coverage pays for bodily injuries only, and
you’ll have to figure out some other way to pay for
getting that witch-related dent out of your car.
Q: What if I fail to keep insurance on my vehicle
that I’ve registered in Kansas?
A: It might’ve worked for the Cowardly Lion,
but the State of Kansas just won’t accept that “If I
only had a brain . . .” excuse. You’d be better off
falling into a nest of winged monkeys. You could get
an indefinite suspension of your license and be
branded “Habitual Violator” if you get caught
without insurance three or more times within five
years. You could even get arrested, and click if you
will, those ruby slippers won’t get you out of the
Kansas Big House.
Q: What if I’m having trouble finding an insurer?
A: If you have been turned down by at least
three companies for insurance, you can still get it
through the Kansas Automobile Insurance Plan, or you
may have to arrange a private meeting behind the
curtained door with the Great Wizard of Oz. If you
prefer to go the KAIP route, any licensed agent
should be able to advise you on the program and help
you get the needed forms in order to apply. The
Kansas Insurance Department also has a list of
non-standard companies that will write policies for
difficult-to-insure drivers. For more information,
you can call their Consumers Assistance Division at
1-800-432-2484. If they’re not in a meeting with the
Wizard, they’ll be happy to help you.
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