Auto | Kansas Department of Insurance

Auto Insurance

Auto insurance is an essential type of personal insurance. In Kansas, it is mandatory to have liability insurance to legally drive as per KSA 8-173. Below are the types of coverage and what they protect against. An asterisk (*) denotes minimum requirements in Kansas per KSA 40-3107.

Personal Injury Protection

Liability

Most auto insurance policies contain three major parts: liability insurance for bodily injury, liability insurance for property damage and uninsured/under-insured motorists coverage. The dollar amount covered will depend on the amount you have chosen on your policy.

*Bodily injury liability insurance protects you against the claims of other people who are injured in an accident for which you were at fault. Their claims for bodily injury may include medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

*Property damage liability insurance pays for any damage you cause to the property of others. This includes not only damages to other vehicles, but also other property such as walls, fences and equipment.

*Uninsured /under-insured motorists coverage may provide coverage for expenses associated with bodily injury caused by an uninsured or under-insured motorist.

Property Damage

Property damage coverage includes both collision coverage and comprehensive coverage. If you chose to make a claim under your policy, it is subject to your policy deductible regardless of who is at fault for the accident.

Collision coverage is for physical damage to your car resulting from a collision, such as with a tree or another car. This coverage is not legally required, but it may be mandated by your lending institution or lessor. If your car is involved in an accident and the cost of repair exceeds its value, the insurer will consider it “totaled” and compensate you for the car’s worth rather than repairing it.

Comprehensive coverage pays for damage from various causes, including fire, severe weather, vandalism, floods, and theft, as well as broken glass like windshield damage. It is not a legal requirement to carry comprehensive coverage.

Two critical factors determine your auto insurance costs. The first factor is underwriting, where insurance companies assess the risk associated with an applicant. The second factor is rating; the rating assigns a price based on what the insurer believes it will cost to assume the financial responsibility for the applicant’s potential claim.

Additional information on how premiums are determined and tips for lowering your premiums can be found in the shoppers guide below.

Rental Car Insurance

Car rental companies offer several different insurance options that your existing policy might already cover. Car rental companies may charge administrative and loss-of-use fees which are not typically covered under personal auto policies.

You can check with your carrier to see if your coverage applies to rental cars. Sometimes a rental/substitute vehicle is only covered if the insured vehicle is unavailable due to a covered loss. Additionally, policy provisions such as deductibles will apply for claims under your personal auto policy.

They typically offer the following products at the counter:

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)

Collision Damage Waiver is also referred to as a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). If you have comprehensive and collision coverage on your own car, you will likely not need this additional protection. (Comprehensive insurance covers vehicular damages caused by accidents such as fire, theft, wind, hail or a run-in with a deer, vandalism, or theft. Collision insurance covers the cost of repairs or the actual cash value of the vehicle, if damaged in a crash or rollover.)

Liability Insurance

Personal Accident Insurance

Personal Effects Coverage

Personal Effects Coverage provides for the theft of personal items inside the rental car. If you have a homeowners or renters insurance policy, it generally covers this already. If you frequently travel with expensive jewelry or sports equipment, it may be more cost-effective to purchase a floater under your home or renters insurance policies so the items are fully protected when you travel.

Auto Shopper’s Guide

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View or download our shopper’s guide to learn more about auto insurance in Kansas.

Auto Insurance Shopper’s Guide

Accident Prevention Courses

Kansas law under K.S.A. 40-1112a requires auto insurers to provide a reduction in premium for liability, personal injury protection and collision coverages on a motor vehicle policy for a three year period if the principal operator of the covered vehicle successfully completes a motor vehicle accident avoidance course, of at least four hours in duration, utilizing a nationally recognized driver training curriculum or a curriculum approved by a state or federal agency.

Only one premium reduction shall be allowed for the principal operator of a covered vehicle.
The premium reduction required by this section shall be effective for the principal operator of a covered vehicle for a three-year period after successful completion of the approved course, except that the insurer may require, as a condition of providing and maintaining the discount, that the principal operator of a covered vehicle not be involved in an accident for which the operator is at fault, nor be convicted of more than one moving violation for a three-year period after course completion.
Individuals who successfully complete the approved course shall be issued a certificate by the organization offering the course that shall be used to qualify for the premium reduction required by this section.
This section shall not apply in the event the approved course is specified by an administrative order of the director of vehicles or by a court order because of a moving traffic violation.
Each principal operator of a covered vehicle shall successfully complete an approved course every three years to continue to be eligible for the premium reduction required by this section.

Important Information to Note

• The Kansas Department of Insurance does not approve course curriculum. Insured should contact their insurance company to inquire about which courses they will accept.

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Resources

Auto Insurance

Rental Car Insurance

Auto Shopper’s Guide

Accident Prevention Courses