Submit a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) application to your own auto insurer right away after the crash, along with the insurer's medical authorization and any wage-loss form your doctor must complete. In Kansas, the carrier generally must pay PIP benefits within 30 days after it gets reasonable proof of loss.

The insurance company will often tell you to send your bills to the at-fault driver's insurer, or to use Medicare and wait for a settlement.

What is actually true is that Kansas is a no-fault state. If you were hit by a car in a Lawrence crosswalk near a school zone or bus stop, your own auto policy's PIP coverage usually pays first, even if you were walking and even if the driver was clearly at fault. If you do not own a car, a policy in your household may apply.

PIP in Kansas can cover:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Replacement services such as help at home
• In fatal cases, funeral benefits

The minimum PIP medical benefit in Kansas is typically $4,500, with separate minimum amounts for disability, in-home services, rehabilitation, and funeral expenses. That is often not enough for a serious back injury, but it can keep collection notices from starting while the liability claim is still pending.

If the insurer says you cannot use PIP because you were a pedestrian, that is usually wrong under the Kansas Automobile Injury Reparations Act. If it delays payment, keep copies of every bill, the Lawrence Police Department crash report number, and the date you submitted the PIP packet. Complaints about claim-handling can be made to the Kansas Insurance Department.

If you later pursue pain and suffering from the driver, Kansas usually requires a threshold such as at least $2,000 in medical expenses or a qualifying serious injury like a fracture, permanent disfigurement, or permanent loss of body function.