Your declarations page is a useful starting point for understanding uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in Kansas, but it is not the entire insurance contract. This checklist explains which limits and documents to review before buying coverage or after a crash.
Start with the declarations page, then obtain the full policy, endorsements, and any signed coverage-rejection forms. Keep the documents that were in effect on the collision date if you are reviewing an existing claim.
1. Confirm the Kansas Minimum and Any Written Rejection
For primary auto policies on vehicles registered or principally garaged in Kansas, required UM/UIM bodily-injury minimums are listed below. Coverage generally matches bodily-injury liability limits unless the named insured rejects the amount above the minimum in writing. A rejection cannot eliminate the required minimum; excess and umbrella policies are treated differently. See the full answer about Kansas UM/UIM requirements and K.S.A. 40-284.
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
These required UM/UIM limits concern bodily injury, not repair or replacement of your car. Check collision and any other applicable property coverage separately. The Kansas Department of Insurance auto guide distinguishes liability, PIP, UM/UIM, collision, and comprehensive coverage.
2. Read the Limits on Your Declarations Page
Write down the per-person and per-accident bodily-injury liability limits alongside the UM/UIM limits. They may differ if coverage above the minimum was rejected. Confirm which people and vehicles are insured and which endorsements change the coverage.
Ask a licensed agent for quotes at different limits and explanations of premiums and exclusions. A serious injury can involve losses above the minimum limits, but no particular premium increase or amount of protection fits every household.
3. Compare UIM Limits With the Other Driver’s Limits
Kansas UIM coverage is tied to the amount by which your applicable UM/UIM limits exceed the at-fault driver’s bodily-injury liability limits. High medical bills alone do not create that limit difference. Record both sets of limits rather than comparing only bills with the other driver’s available insurance.
- Equal limits: $25,000 UIM compared with $25,000 liability leaves no limit difference.
- Different limits: $100,000 UIM compared with $25,000 liability leaves a potential $75,000 additional limit, subject to damages and coverage conditions.
These are illustrations, not guaranteed payments. Fault, other claimants, applicable coverage, and settlement requirements can affect the result. Kansas also limits stacking: multiple applicable UM/UIM policies cannot simply be added together above the highest limit of one applicable policy under K.S.A. 40-284(d).
4. Check Which Coverage Addresses Each Loss
Separate your questions about injuries, immediate medical bills, and vehicle damage. Ask the insurer or agent to identify the coverage, limit, deductible, and conditions for each. Possible coverages to review include:
- UM/UIM bodily injury: covered injury damages involving an uninsured driver or a qualifying underinsured driver.
- PIP and other applicable medical benefits: specified benefits subject to the policy and coordination rules.
- Collision or other applicable property coverage: vehicle damage, with any deductible and coverage conditions.
A gap or dispute in one coverage does not necessarily mean that every bill must be paid out of pocket. Review the full policy and other available coverage. For a collision that has already happened, read what to do after being hit by an uninsured driver in Kansas.
5. Keep the Documents Needed After a Crash
Prompt reporting, medical care, and organized records can help you address policy requirements and document losses. Keep the following information, and ask for advice about any document or request you do not understand:
- Crash details: the date, location, police-report number, photographs, and witness contact information.
- Treatment records: medical records, bills, and the care recommendations you received.
- Insurance documents: the declarations page, full policy, endorsements, rejection forms, and claim number.
- Loss and claim records: missed-work documentation, insurer letters, requests, and any written denial.
- Settlement papers: offers and proposed releases; seek advice about UIM notice before accepting a liability settlement.
6. Ask About Notice, Exclusions, and Settlement
Read the policy’s reporting and cooperation provisions. For an unidentified hit-and-run driver, Kansas permits a coverage limitation when there is neither evidence of physical contact nor reliable competent evidence from a disinterested witness who is not claiming under the policy. Preserve relevant evidence and read the hit-and-run coverage explanation.
- Notice: what information does the insurer require and when?
- Coverage dispute: what policy provision and factual reason support any denial?
- Settlement: what notice must be given to a UIM insurer before releasing the at-fault driver?
K.S.A. 40-284(f) sets a notice process for a tentative policy-limits settlement with an underinsured driver, including certified-mail notice and a 60-day opportunity for the UIM insurer to substitute payment. Obtain advice before signing a release; do not assume you can settle first and address UIM later.
Get Help Reviewing a Kansas UM/UIM Claim
If you were injured and have questions about coverage, a denial, or a proposed settlement, Riedmiller, Andersen & Scott, LLC can discuss your uninsured or underinsured motorist claim. The firm offers free consultations and contingency-fee representation. Request a consultation and ask about fees, case expenses, and the written agreement.
