Whether you're commuting on I-70, driving kids to practice, or crossing State Line Road for work, your auto policy should fit the way you actually drive. Troy Lentz helps drivers across the Kansas City area — and throughout Missouri and Kansas — understand their options and put together coverage that makes sense.
No jargon and no pressure: just a clear explanation of what each coverage does, what your state requires, and where you might want more protection than the minimum.
Working With Shield Squad
Troy Lentz
Licensed Insurance Advisor · A Farmers Insurance Agency
Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Most auto policies are built from the same core coverages. Here's what each one does, so you can decide what belongs on yours.
Helps pay for injuries and property damage you cause to others in an accident you're legally responsible for, up to your policy limits.
Liability is split into bodily injury and property damage, and it's the foundation of every auto policy. A serious accident can cost far more than the state minimum limits, so it's worth considering whether higher limits make sense for what you have to protect.
Helps protect you and your passengers when the at-fault driver has no insurance, or not enough insurance to cover your injuries.
Missouri and Kansas both require uninsured motorist coverage. In Kansas, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is part of every policy. In Missouri, underinsured motorist coverage is optional, so it's worth asking whether it belongs on yours.
Helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle after it collides with another vehicle or an object, regardless of who's at fault, after your deductible.
Your deductible affects both your premium and what you'd pay out of pocket after a claim, so choose one you could comfortably cover. If your vehicle is financed or leased, your lender may require collision coverage.
Helps cover damage to your vehicle from causes other than a collision, such as hail, theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects, or hitting a deer.
In the Kansas City area, hail is the one people think about most. Comprehensive is generally the coverage that responds when a storm leaves dents across your hood and roof — subject to your deductible and policy terms.
Helps pay medical expenses for you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of who caused it, up to the limit you choose.
Kansas requires personal injury protection (PIP), which serves a similar purpose for vehicles insured there. In Missouri, medical payments coverage is optional, and we can talk through whether it fits alongside your health insurance.
Helps pay for a rental car or other transportation while your vehicle is being repaired after a covered claim, up to your policy's limits.
If your household depends on one vehicle to get to work or school, ask whether rental coverage is available on your policy and how its daily and total limits work.
Missouri law requires vehicle owners to carry auto liability insurance and uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage is part of every Missouri auto policy and can't be waived.
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
|---|---|
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per accident |
| Uninsured motorist | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
Source:RSMo 303.030RSMo 379.203
In the Kansas City metro, crossing State Line Road can be part of an ordinary day. Plenty of drivers live in Missouri and work in Kansas, or the other way around.
Auto policies typically include coverage when you drive in another state, but Missouri and Kansas set different requirements for the vehicles insured there. The biggest difference: Kansas requires personal injury protection (PIP), which helps pay certain medical and related expenses regardless of who caused the accident. Missouri doesn't require PIP.
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
|---|---|
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per accident |
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | Required |
| Uninsured / underinsured motorist | Required, at least $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
Source:K.S.A. 40-3107K.S.A. 40-284
Not sure what your policy should include? Let's walk through it together.
Auto is already selected below. Add any other coverage you'd like to review, and a Shield Squad Agency representative will contact you with options.
Missouri's legal minimums are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury liability, $25,000 for property damage liability, and uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Those minimums are a starting point. The right limits depend on your vehicles, your drivers, and what you have to protect — and that's exactly what we'll talk through with you.
It isn't an official type of coverage. People usually use it to mean liability plus collision and comprehensive. Even then, policies can differ a lot in limits, deductibles, and optional coverages, so it's worth looking at what's actually listed on your declarations page.
Uninsured motorist coverage helps when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Missouri's uninsured motorist law also applies when the at-fault vehicle can't be identified, as in some hit-and-run accidents. Underinsured motorist coverage helps when the at-fault driver has insurance, but their limits aren't enough to cover your injuries.
Auto policies typically include coverage when you drive in other states, but details vary by policy. The bigger question is usually where your vehicle is registered and kept, since that affects which state's requirements your policy needs to meet. If your situation is changing — a new job across the line or a move — give us a call.
Hail damage to your vehicle is generally handled under comprehensive coverage, subject to your deductible and policy terms. If you carry only liability coverage, damage to your own vehicle generally isn't covered.
Start with the quick form on this page: your name, contact information, date of birth, and address. A Shield Squad Agency representative will follow up about your vehicles, drivers, and current coverage to put together your options.
Yes. We're happy to look at your auto coverage alongside your home or renters policy. Whether combining policies makes sense depends on your situation, and Troy explains how to compare the options in our article on bundling.
Read: Auto and Home Bundles — When Combining Coverage Actually HelpsWhat to do at the scene, what to wait on, and when to call your agent — written for regular drivers, not claims adjusters.
Black ice on a metro overpass does not care that you left early. Here is how collision, comprehensive, and roadside help actually show up in a winter claim.
Bundling is not a magic coupon. Here is when Auto/Home or Auto/Renters usually makes sense for Missouri and Kansas households — and when I tell people to pause.
