Car Accident Attorney in Kansas

How an Attorney from One of Our Partner Law Firms Can Help

Dealing with insurance companies is stressful in the best of circumstances. When you handle the complexities of a serious car accident alone, you might leave money on the table.

A personal injury lawyer near you can:

Determine if your injuries qualify you for compensation beyond Kansas’s no-fault limits

• File an insurance claim against the at-fault driver’s policy
• Negotiate with insurance companies for fair compensation for your medical treatments, lost wages, and other damages
• Represent you at trial if negotiations fall through

What Kansas’s No-Fault System Means for Your Case

Understanding Kansas’s insurance system is essential when pursuing compensation.

Kansas is a no-fault state. This means that your auto insurance, called Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, typically covers your medical bills and other expenses resulting from an accident, regardless of who is at fault.

Drivers must carry PIP for their medical and rehabilitation expenses, loss of income, and certain other related costs. However, Kansas also requires drivers to carry liability insurance to cover any accidents they cause. According to the Kansas Department of Insurance, the state’s minimum auto insurance requirements include:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $25,000 property damage liability per accident

In many cases, your PIP coverage will not cover the entirety of your losses. In these situations, Kansas law provides an avenue to step outside of the state’s no-fault system. These include:

• Your car accident-related medical bills are $2,000 or greater.
• Your injuries meet the broad definition of “serious.”

“Serious” injuries include disfigurement, loss of a body part or function, certain types of fractures, and fatal injuries.

Compensation a Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You Recover

Depending on the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life, you could recover damages for:

• Medical and rehabilitative treatment, such as emergency room visits, hospital stays, surgeries, doctor appointments, prescription medications, physical therapy, any long-term rehabilitation services, and any future care
• Lost wages if your injuries prevent you from working temporarily or permanently
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish

Car Accident Cases Our Partner Law Firms Take On

According to the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office (KTSRO), over 52 percent of all reported crashes in 2023 involved other vehicles.

The KTSRO lists the following as the most common types of collisions statewide:

• Angle or T-Bone Accidents: These occur when one vehicle hits the side of another at an angle. Angle accidents often happen at intersections.
• Rear-End Collisions: Another frequent type of crash is rear-end collisions, which are typically caused by a driver in the rear vehicle tailgating or failing to pay attention.
• Side-Swipe Accidents: Side-swipe collisions occur when two cars scrape against each other’s sides. They may involve cars traveling in the same or opposite directions.
• Head-On Collisions: When two vehicles crash front-to-front, injuries are often severe and can be life-threatening.
• Back-Up Accidents: These accidents frequently occur in parking lots, driveways, or other situations where the driver has limited visibility while backing out.

Other Motor Vehicle Accidents

While most traffic accidents involve passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs, they aren’t the only vehicles on Kansas roads. They also aren’t the only ones involved in serious crashes. Many people are injured each year in accidents involving larger, more dangerous, or less-protected vehicles, including:

• Large Truck Accidents: 3,478 truck accidents, accounting for over 20 percent of all fatal crashes
• Motorcycle Accidents: 971 two-wheeled motor vehicle accidents, resulting in 43 fatalities

These accidents can leave victims facing painful injuries, mounting medical bills, and overwhelming stress. If you’ve been hurt in a crash caused by someone else, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced legal team is here to help — call us today for a free consultation.

How Negligence Causes Car Accidents in Kansas

Many of these accidents were the result of preventable negligence. Four out of the five leading causes of crashes in 2023 were driver-related:

• Nearly 18 percent of car accidents were due to driver inattention, which includes distracted driving.
• Over ten percent of accidents involved a right-of-way violation.
• In almost eight percent of crashes, the driver was tailgating.
• Nearly six percent of collisions resulted from driving too fast for conditions.

You Have a Limited Time to Take Action for Your Injuries

Time limits apply if you want to seek legal action.

Under Kansas Statutes §12.2836, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, some exceptions could apply to this deadline:

• If the injured person is a minor
• If the injured person has limited decision-making capacity, a temporary or permanent disability, or other special needs recognized by the state

It’s important that you don’t rely on these exceptions as they may not apply in your case. If you fail to file before the time limit expires, you could end up recovering nothing.