Kansas PIP Insurance | Bankrate

Kansas PIP Insurance | Bankrate

As a no-fault state, you may have heard of personal injury protection (PIP) insurance from your insurance agent. Personal injury protection in Kansas is a mandatory type of insurance that is required by law in the state.

PIP insurance in Kansas is part of all insurance policies in the state. It protects you by paying for medical costs and more if you are in an accident, and allows you to circumvent the court system and earn a quick payout on claims when money is needed to pay hospital costs or other injury-related expenses.

How does Kansas PIP insurance work? It is basically a simple process that can be initiated by filing a claim with your insurer following an accident.

What is PIP insurance?

Your auto insurance is divided into a number of coverage options — some required by the state and others optional — which provide different types of coverage depending on what happens to you when you are behind the wheel. You are required to carry bodily injury and property liability for accidents where you are at fault, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in case you are hit by someone without insurance.

You will also need to carry PIP coverage. This covers your medical costs, lost wages and more in an accident, and allows you to have a check in hand quickly and efficiently when you need it. The minimum amount you can carry in Kansas is broken down into several categories:

• Medical benefits: up to $4,500
• Rehabilitation benefits: up to $4,500
• Lost wages: up to $900 a month
• Daily chores, such as cleaning: up to $25 a day for one year
• Funeral benefits: up to $2,000

This may not be the only coverage that protects your interests, though. You can also augment your policy with optional coverages such as collision and comprehensive to protect your vehicle following a crash.

How does Kansas PIP work?

How does Kansas PIP work? It is fairly simple. PIP insurance in Kansas can be used for expenses incurred following a collision, regardless of who is at fault. As is true in all no-fault states, you would file a PIP claim with your own insurer, rather than the other driver’s company. Instead of filing a lawsuit, which can take years to resolve and cost a great deal of money, you would settle for the amount you are awarded by your own insurer following your claim.

Here are some of the costs that your PIP insurance will cover:

• Ambulance care
• X-rays
• Surgical costs
• Diagnostics
• Nursing care
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost wages while you are recovering
• Some household tasks, such as a cleaning service while you are recovering

So, for example, if you are hit in an intersection while making a left turn and sustain injuries that require hospitalization, it is possible the other driver’s liability coverage will pay for it (assuming they are at fault), but you could also make a claim on your PIP coverage, including the costs of hiring someone to do your grocery shopping while you are recovering and cannot manage tasks like this yourself.

Is PIP required in Kansas?

Yes, PIP is required by law in Kansas in order to drive on public streets. If you are hoping to see Kansas PIP insurance explained, the state’s insurance department clearly outlines the PIP coverage you will need.

In addition to PIP, your insurance agent may offer you medical payments, or medpay, coverage. Medpay is similar to PIP in that it pays for medical costs, but it does not go further than that: unlike PIP, it will not pay for lost wages or household costs. It can be an extra buffer to protect you following an accident, but is not required as PIP is.

How much does PIP cost in Kansas?

Insurance costs vary greatly from person to person. Insurers take multiple factors into consideration when determining rates: the age, make and model of the car, where it is garaged, and the owner’s age and credit rating are just a few of them.

Another factor is the amount of PIP coverage you purchase. You must, by law, have a minimum of $4,500 worth of PIP coverage in Kansas, along with additional coverages as we have outlined above. But you can carry more if you are willing to pay a higher premium. Because of this, the cost of PIP insurance in Kansas will vary from driver to driver.

Key things to note about PIP insurance in Kansas

PIP in Kansas is a fact of life for any driver in the state. Here, briefly, is what you need to know about it:

• How does Kansas PIP work? Simple: it offers quick payment on your claim of injury after an accident.
• PIP insurance is mandatory in Kansas because the state is considered a no-fault state.
• PIP coverage in Kansas will pay for a variety of medical costs, as well as lost wages and some household tasks.
• By having PIP insurance in Kansas, you relinquish the right to sue the other driver following an accident in most cases.

Frequently asked questions

How and when do I file a PIP claim?

FIle your PIP claim in Kansas as soon as possible after you are involved in an accident, regardless of who is at fault, and even if you are not the driver. By law, you have up to two years to file the claim, but since PIP is designed to get money back to you as quickly as possible, it makes sense to file immediately.

Are PIP and medical payments the same?

PIP and medical payments, or medpay, are both types of insurance available to Kansas drivers. They are similar in that both will pay for medical costs following an accident. Medpay, however, is not mandatory, but can serve as back-up insurance for additional peace of mind. Medpay coverage is more limited than PIP: it does not cover lost wages or household benefits, as well as some medical costs such as psychiatric care.