What Type of Auto Insurance Do I Need? 

Liability Coverage

• “Liability” Coverage covers the person or property you injure or damage by your negligence.
• Under Missouri and Kansas Law, you are required to have $25,000 per person, $50,000 per occurrence in bodily injury benefits and $10,000 per occurrence in property damage liability benefits.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

• Uninsured Motorist Coverage protects you from expenses for bodily injuries, damages, lost income and medical expenses caused by the negligence of:
  • An uninsured motorist.
  • A phantom driver (someone that causes an accident through their negligence and he or she’s identity is unknown either because they left the accident scene or their negligence pre-dated the accident).
  • By state law you must carry at least $25,000 per person/$50,000 per occurrence in Uninsured Motorist coverage.
  • UnderMissouri law, you can “stack” Uninsured Motorist Coverage for the named insured, insured’s spouse and minor children which reside in the home.
    • If hurt bad enough you can stack all Uninsured Motorist coverages.
      • For example:  If you have 3 vehicles, each with $100,000 per person coverage, if hurt badly enough, you would have $300,000 in Uninsured Motorist coverage, even if those other vehicles were not involved in the accident.
      • Under Kansas law, you cannot “stack” Uninsured Motorist coverage and would be limited to the policy limits of the vehicle you are in at the time of the accident.

Underinsured Motorist Coverage

• Underinsured Motorist Coverage protects you from expenses for bodily injuries, damages, lost income and medical expenses caused by the negligence of:
  • A driver that does not have enough insurance coverage to pay for your injuries and medical damages.
  • In Kansas, you must have at least $25,000 per person/$50,000 per occurrence in coverage.
  • In Missouri, you not required to have Underinsured coverage.
  • You cannot stack Underinsured Insurance coverage in Kansas.
  • Normally, cannot stack Underinsured Insurance coverage in Missouri unless you have a badly written policy.

Coverage to Pay Your Own Medical Bills

Medical Payment Benefits Coverage (Missouri)

• Medical Payment Benefit Coverage (sometimes called “Med Pay” coverage) pays your own ‘fair and reasonable’ healthcare expenses up to the limit of your coverage.
• This is not required in Missouri; you must purchase as an “extra” on your automobile insurance policy.
• Coverage is usually in increments of $1,000, $2,000, $10,000, and $25,000.
• No subrogation.  This means if you receive payment from the other party’s insurance, you do not have to pay back to your carrier the amount you received through your own Medical Payments Coverage.
• Everyone in the car is covered by Medical Payment Benefits Coverage up to its limits.

Personal Injury Protection Benefits Coverage (Kansas)

• Personal Injury Protection Benefits Coverage (sometimes called “PIP” coverage) pays your own ‘fair and reasonable’ healthcare expenses up to the limit of your coverage.
• A minimum of $4,500 in Personal Injury Protection Benefits Coverage is required by law in Kansas.  You can purchase more.
• Kansas Personal Injury Protection Benefits Coverage is subject to subrogation.  This means if you receive payment from the other party’s insurance, the amount you receive from the other party’s insurance is reduced by the amount you received through your own Personal Injury Protection Benefits Coverage less a reduction for attorney’s fees.
• Everyone in the car is covered by Personal Injury Protection Benefits Coverage up to the limits of the policy; however, the coverage is secondary to their own Personal Injury Protection Benefits Coverage.