“No-Fault”— What Does It Mean?

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If you are in an accident in Kansas, the policeman on scene may tell you that you are in a no-fault state. Now what does that mean for you? Does that mean you can’t collect money from the other driver?

No. What this means is that, by law, regardless of who was found to be at fault, your own insurance company will pay some or all of your medical bills via your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. However, the maximum amount paid depends on a few factors, such as personal insurance coverage and state minimum payouts.

For example, in Kansas, the minimum payout per state law is $4,500. That amount will go towards paying medical bills and reimbursing you on lost wages. This overall amount paid out will vary depending on whether or not you chose enhanced coverage.

Enhanced Coverage Options

When it’s time to purchase auto insurance, you will have a variety of additional riders and enhanced coverage options to pick and choose from.

For instance, in Missouri, when you purchase car insurance you also have the choice to enhance your insurance by adding on medical payment insurance (med pay).  Same applies for Kansas. This add-on then increases the amount of coverage you receive in case you experience a personal injured in an accident. In fact, med pay also offers the advantage of not having to pay deductibles or co-pays when you seek medical care after an accident.

Once your PIP and/or med pay has finished paying, you would then send any remaining medical expenses to your medical insurance company. However, unlike med pay, deductibles and co-pays apply.

For property damage (and if you carry enhanced collision coverage) you have the choice for working through your company or the at fault person’s company.  If you work through your insurance company with your property damage, then your company gets the money back from the at fault person.

Advantages of No-Fault

Ultimately, the advantage of driving in no-fault states is that you don’t have to coordinate with another insurance company that has no loyalty to you. You also have no deductibles or co-pays when you use the PIP portion of your no-fault policy.

Furthermore, once you complete treatment, your insurance company gets reimbursed from the at fault party’s insurance.

With all of this in mind, you may wonder why you need to contact a personal injury lawyer after an accident. The main reason is that even though you may be entitled to a certain amount of insurance coverage, you may not get the full amount. Insurance companies in general do what they can to reduce the amount of money they pay out for claims.

As a result people who are represented by attorneys receive around 3.5 times more for their injury claims than those who don’t hire a lawyer.

Learn more about Kansas PIP coverage.

If you are injured in an accident in Kansas, please call Patterson Legal Group. Our experienced legal team has the answers you seek regarding any insurance questions, and we offer free consultations! Call us at 888-687-2400, connect with one of our LiveChat agents standing by, or fill out this form to request your free case review.

The information on this blog is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to serve as legal advice for an individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship nor does viewing this material constitute an attorney-client relationship.