Kansas Personal Injury Demand Letter

PERSONAL INJURY DEMAND LETTER — STATE OF KANSAS

PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL — SETTLEMENT COMMUNICATION
PREPARED IN ANTICIPATION OF LITIGATION
Subject to K.S.A. § 60-452 and Federal Rule of Evidence 408

ATTORNEY INFORMATION

Law Firm: [________________________________]
Attorney Name: [________________________________]
Kansas Bar No.: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [____________________], Kansas [________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Facsimile: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]

CLAIM INFORMATION

Date of Letter: [__/__/____]

Sent Via: ☐ Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested ☐ Regular U.S. Mail ☐ Email ☐ Facsimile

To:
Insurance Company: [________________________________]
Claims Adjuster: [________________________________]
Adjuster Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]

Claim Number: [________________________________]
Policy Number: [________________________________]
Insured (Defendant): [________________________________]
Claimant: [________________________________]
Date of Loss: [__/__/____]
Date of Birth (Claimant): [__/__/____]
Type of Claim: ☐ Bodily Injury ☐ Wrongful Death ☐ Property Damage ☐ Uninsured Motorist ☐ Underinsured Motorist ☐ PIP

I. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

This letter constitutes a formal demand for settlement on behalf of our client, [________________________________] ("Claimant"), for personal injuries, damages, and losses sustained as a direct and proximate result of the negligence of your insured, [________________________________] ("Defendant"), arising from an incident that occurred on [__/__/____] in [________________________________], Kansas.

This firm has been retained to represent Claimant in connection with all claims arising from this incident. Please direct future communications about this represented claim to our office.

The purpose of this demand is to set forth the facts, applicable Kansas law, Claimant's injuries and damages, and to present a specific settlement demand for resolution of this matter.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. Incident Description

On [__/__/____], at approximately [____] ☐ a.m. ☐ p.m., the following incident occurred:

Location: [________________________________]
City/County: [________________________________], Kansas
Weather Conditions: [________________________________]
Road/Surface Conditions: [________________________________]
Lighting Conditions: ☐ Daylight ☐ Dusk ☐ Dawn ☐ Darkness ☐ Artificial Lighting

Type of Incident:
☐ Motor vehicle collision
☐ Rear-end collision
☐ Intersection collision
☐ Head-on collision
☐ Side-impact / T-bone collision
☐ Pedestrian accident
☐ Bicycle accident
☐ Motorcycle accident
☐ Trucking / commercial vehicle accident
☐ Slip and fall / Premises liability
☐ Dog bite / Animal attack
☐ Product liability
☐ Medical malpractice
☐ Other: [________________________________]

B. Narrative of Events

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

C. Police Report / Incident Documentation

Responding Agency: [________________________________]
Report Number: [________________________________]
Investigating Officer: [________________________________]
Badge Number: [________________________________]

The official report documents:

• [________________________________]
• [________________________________]
• [________________________________]

Citations Issued to Defendant: ☐ Yes ☐ No
If yes, specify: [________________________________]

D. Witnesses

E. Photographic and Video Evidence

☐ Photographs of accident scene
☐ Photographs of vehicle damage / hazardous condition
☐ Photographs of Claimant's visible injuries
☐ Surveillance camera footage
☐ Dashcam / bodycam footage
☐ Cell phone photographs or video
☐ Other: [________________________________]

III. LIABILITY ANALYSIS UNDER KANSAS LAW

A. Negligence Standard

Under Kansas law, negligence is established by proving: (1) the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff; (2) the defendant breached that duty; (3) the plaintiff sustained injuries; and (4) the defendant's breach was the proximate cause of the plaintiff's injuries. See Hale v. Brown, 287 Kan. 320 (2008).

B. Defendant's Breach of Duty

Your insured breached the applicable duty of care:

☐ Failure to maintain a lane or make a safe lane change (K.S.A. § 8-1522)
☐ Failure to yield the right-of-way (K.S.A. § 8-1526 et seq.)
☐ Following too closely (K.S.A. § 8-1523)
☐ Excessive speed for conditions (K.S.A. § 8-1557 et seq.)
☐ Violation of traffic control device (K.S.A. § 8-1508)
☐ Distracted driving / texting while driving (K.S.A. § 8-15,111)
☐ Driving under the influence (K.S.A. § 8-1567)
☐ Failure to maintain safe premises
☐ Violation of building code or safety standard
☐ Negligent entrustment
☐ Respondeat superior / vicarious liability
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Specific breaches:
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

C. Kansas Modified Comparative Fault (50% Bar Rule)

Under K.S.A. § 60-258a(a), a claimant whose negligence is less than the causal negligence of the party or parties against whom the claim is made may recover for death, personal injury, property damage, or economic loss. The damages awarded to that claimant are reduced in proportion to the claimant's negligence.

Under Kansas's modified comparative fault system:

• The plaintiff is barred from recovery if their fault is 50% or more of the total causal negligence
• If the plaintiff's fault is less than 50%, damages are reduced proportionately
• The trier of fact assigns fault percentages to all parties

Application to This Case: Your insured bears the overwhelming majority of fault. Claimant's fault, if any, is [none / negligible] because [________________________________].

D. Joint and Several Liability — ABOLISHED

Under K.S.A. § 60-258a(d), each party is severally liable only for their proportionate share of fault and resulting damages. Joint and several liability has been abolished in Kansas.

E. Kansas Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Kansas is a modified no-fault state requiring Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage:

• Minimum PIP: $4,500 per person
• PIP covers medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages (up to $900/month), and in-home services
• PIP benefits are paid regardless of fault
• The § 40-3117 injury or treatment threshold limits noneconomic-damages recovery in covered motor-vehicle tort actions; it does not govern whether a claimant may bring a claim for economic loss.

Noneconomic-Damages Threshold (K.S.A. § 40-3117): In a covered motor-vehicle tort action, recovery for pain, suffering, and other noneconomic loss requires medical treatment with a reasonable value of $2,000 or more, or another qualifying injury specified in the statute. The threshold does not bar an economic-damages claim merely because it is unmet.

☐ Claimant's injuries meet the tort threshold because: [________________________________]

IV. INJURIES AND MEDICAL TREATMENT

A. Summary of Injuries

As a direct and proximate result of this incident, Claimant sustained:

☐ Traumatic brain injury (TBI) / Concussion
☐ Cervical spine injury (herniation, bulge, fracture)
☐ Thoracic spine injury
☐ Lumbar spine injury (herniation, bulge, fracture)
☐ Shoulder injury (rotator cuff tear, labral tear)
☐ Knee injury (meniscus tear, ligament tear, fracture)
☐ Hip injury (fracture, labral tear)
☐ Rib fractures
☐ Facial lacerations / scarring / disfigurement
☐ Dental injuries
☐ Wrist / hand / finger fractures or sprains
☐ Ankle / foot fractures or sprains
☐ Internal organ injury
☐ Soft tissue injuries (sprains, strains, contusions)
☐ Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
☐ Anxiety / Depression
☐ Chronic pain syndrome
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Primary Diagnoses (ICD-10 Codes):

1. [________________________________] — [________]
2. [________________________________] — [________]
3. [________________________________] — [________]
4. [________________________________] — [________]
5. [________________________________] — [________]

B. Chronological Treatment History

Emergency / Initial Treatment

Date: [__/__/____]
Provider: [________________________________]
Facility: [________________________________]
Arrived Via: ☐ Ambulance ☐ Self ☐ Other
Treatment: [________________________________]
Findings: [________________________________]

Primary Care / Follow-Up Treatment

Specialist Treatment

Specialist: [________________________________]
Specialty: [________________________________]
Treatment Period: [__/__/____] through [__/__/____]
Treatment Provided: [________________________________]
Findings/Recommendations: [________________________________]

Diagnostic Imaging

Physical Therapy / Rehabilitation

Provider: [________________________________]
Treatment Period: [__/__/____] through [__/__/____]
Number of Sessions: [____]
Treatment Modalities: [________________________________]
Progress / Outcome: [________________________________]

Surgical Treatment (if applicable)

Date: [__/__/____]
Surgeon: [________________________________]
Facility: [________________________________]
Procedure: [________________________________]
Outcome: [________________________________]

Pain Management (if applicable)

Provider: [________________________________]
Treatment Period: [__/__/____] through [__/__/____]
Treatment Modalities:
☐ Epidural steroid injections
☐ Facet joint injections
☐ Nerve blocks
☐ Trigger point injections
☐ Radiofrequency ablation
☐ Medication management
☐ Other: [________________________________]

C. Current Condition and Prognosis

Claimant's current condition:
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Treating Physician's Prognosis:
[________________________________]

☐ Claimant has reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)
☐ Claimant continues active treatment
☐ Future surgery recommended: [________________________________]
☐ Permanent impairment rating: [____]% whole person

D. Future Medical Treatment

☐ Life care plan prepared by [________________________________] — enclosed.

V. DAMAGES CALCULATION

IMPORTANT — KANSAS DAMAGES CAPS:
- Personal Injury: The noneconomic damages cap (K.S.A. § 60-19a02) was struck down as unconstitutional by the Kansas Supreme Court in Hilburn v. Enerpipe Ltd., 309 Kan. 1127 (2019). There is NO cap on noneconomic damages in personal injury cases.
- Wrongful Death: Noneconomic damages remain capped at $250,000 (K.S.A. § 60-1903).
- Economic Damages: No cap in any case.

A. Past Medical Expenses (Itemized)

B. Future Medical Expenses

C. Past Lost Wages / Income

Employer: [________________________________]
Position/Title: [________________________________]
Rate of Pay: $[________] per ☐ hour ☐ week ☐ month ☐ year
Period of Absence: [__/__/____] through [__/__/____]
Total Days Missed: [____]
Verification: ☐ Employer letter ☐ Tax returns ☐ Pay stubs

D. Future Lost Earning Capacity

Basis for Claim: [________________________________]
Vocational Expert: [________________________________]
Economist: [________________________________]
Projected Loss Period: [____] years
Present Value of Future Lost Earnings: $[________]

E. Noneconomic Damages (Pain and Suffering)

No Cap Applies. The Kansas Supreme Court held the noneconomic damages cap unconstitutional in Hilburn v. Enerpipe Ltd., 309 Kan. 1127, 442 P.3d 509 (2019). There is no statutory limit on noneconomic damages in Kansas personal injury cases.

Claimant has suffered and continues to suffer:

☐ Physical pain and suffering (past and ongoing)
☐ Mental and emotional distress
☐ Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
☐ Loss of enjoyment of life
☐ Scarring and disfigurement
☐ Physical limitations and disability
☐ Loss of independence
☐ Interference with daily activities
☐ Disability and inconvenience
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Narrative of Impact on Daily Life:
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Noneconomic Damages Claimed: $[________]

F. Loss or Impairment of Household Services for Spouse (if applicable)

Under K.S.A. § 23-2605, the injured married person asserts this component for the spouse’s benefit. Include it only when the marriage and affected household services are supported by the facts.

Spouse Name: [________________________________]
Household services affected: [________________________________]
Amount Claimed: $[________]

G. Property Damage

H. Out-of-Pocket Expenses

I. PIP Benefits Received / Potential Reimbursement

Under K.S.A. 40-3113a(b), identify benefits that duplicate amounts sought in this demand and any resulting insurer lien. Keep the lien accounting separate from the gross settlement demand; resolve reimbursement from the recovery as applicable.

J. Summary of All Damages

VI. INSURANCE COVERAGE ANALYSIS

A. Defendant's Liability Coverage

Carrier: [________________________________]
Policy Number: [________________________________]
Bodily Injury Limits: $[________] / $[________]
Property Damage Limits: $[________]
Umbrella / Excess Policy: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Unknown — Limits: $[________]

Note: Kansas requires minimum liability coverage of $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 (K.S.A. § 40-3107).

B. Claimant's Coverage

Carrier: [________________________________]
Policy Number: [________________________________]

☐ Personal Injury Protection (PIP): $[________] (minimum $4,500)
☐ Uninsured Motorist (UM): $[________] / $[________]
☐ Underinsured Motorist (UIM): $[________] / $[________]
☐ Medical Payments (MedPay): $[________]
☐ Collision Coverage: $[________] (deductible: $[________])

C. Other Potential Coverage

☐ Homeowner's / Renter's insurance
☐ Commercial general liability
☐ Workers' compensation
☐ Health insurance subrogation / lien: $[________]
☐ Medicare / Medicaid lien: $[________]
☐ ERISA lien: $[________]

VII. PREJUDGMENT INTEREST

Prejudgment interest generally requires a liquidated claim: both the amount and due date must be fixed or definitely ascertainable by calculation. An itemized medical bill or wage figure does not, by itself, make a disputed personal-injury claim liquidated. Identify the basis for any claimed interest before including it in this demand.

Key Provisions:

• K.S.A. § 16-201(a) states a general 10% rate for specified money obligations, subject to subsection (b).
• For a civil tort action filed on or after July 1, 2023, § 16-201(b) sets any court-awarded prejudgment interest at two percentage points below the rate in § 16-204(e)(1). Check the applicable filing date and rate before using a figure.
• Do not assume that a personal-injury claim becomes liquidated because some expenses or wage losses can be totaled.

Calculation (only if the claim qualifies):

• Fixed or ascertainable amount and due date, with supporting basis: [DETAILS / NOT CLAIMED]
• Applicable statute, filing date, and rate: [DETAILS / NOT CLAIMED]
• Interest period and estimated amount: [DATES AND AMOUNT / NOT CLAIMED]

VIII. PUNITIVE DAMAGES

Kansas authorizes punitive damages under K.S.A. § 60-3702, subject to the amendment procedure in § 60-3703.

☐ This case does involve conduct warranting punitive damages.
☐ This case does not currently involve a claim for punitive damages.

Standard: Punitive damages require clear and convincing proof that the defendant acted with willful conduct, wanton conduct, fraud, or malice (K.S.A. § 60-3702(c)).

Cap (K.S.A. § 60-3702):

• Lesser of: (a) defendant's highest annual gross income earned in any one of the five years immediately before the punitive conduct, OR (b) $5 million
• If the court determines the defendant's highest annual gross income is clearly inadequate to penalize the defendant, § 60-3702(e)(1) permits the court to use up to 50% of the defendant's net worth instead for that part of the calculation; the $5 million alternative in subsection (e)(2) still applies. Subsection (f) separately permits a limit of 1.5 times the profit from misconduct when its conditions are met.

Procedure: Under K.S.A. § 60-3702(a), the trier of fact decides whether punitive damages are allowed while deciding the other issues; if allowed, the court holds a separate proceeding to set the amount. K.S.A. § 60-3703 requires leave to amend a pleading before asserting a tort claim for punitive damages.

IX. SETTLEMENT DEMAND

Based on the foregoing analysis, Claimant hereby demands the total sum of:

$[________________________________]

This demand is made in good faith and represents the full value of Claimant's damages under Kansas law.

Response Deadline: This demand shall remain open for [____] days, until [__/__/____].

Method of Response: Please respond in writing to the undersigned.

X. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS WARNING

IMPORTANT: K.S.A. § 60-513(a)(4) places a noncontract injury-to-rights action not otherwise enumerated within two years. Subsection (b) measures accrual by substantial injury and, if the fact of injury was not then reasonably ascertainable, later reasonable ascertainability. The date of loss was [__/__/____]; counsel must determine the supported accrual date and deadline: [__/__/____].

Outer limit: Except for subsections (c) and (d), § 60-513(b) bars an action listed in subsection (a) more than 10 years after the act giving rise to it. This is not an outer limit for every tort or claim.

If this matter is not resolved prior to the deadline, Claimant will file suit without further notice.

XI. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS AND LITIGATION WARNING

Claimant expressly reserves the right to:

1. File suit in the appropriate Kansas District Court
2. Seek all damages available under Kansas law, including economic and noneconomic damages, prejudgment interest, costs, and attorney's fees where applicable
3. Seek punitive damages under K.S.A. §§ 60-3702 and 60-3703 if warranted
4. Pursue additional parties whose fault contributed to Claimant's damages
5. Pursue UM/UIM benefits if the tortfeasor's coverage is insufficient
6. Claim additional damages discovered after the date of this letter

This demand is a settlement communication and not a complete statement of all facts, injuries, or damages.

XII. MEDICAL RECORDS AND EXHIBITS INDEX

Medical Records and Bills

☐ Emergency room records and bills — [________________________________]
☐ Hospital records and bills — [________________________________]
☐ Primary care physician records — [________________________________]
☐ Specialist records and bills — [________________________________]
☐ Physical therapy records and bills — [________________________________]
☐ Chiropractic records and bills — [________________________________]
☐ Pain management records and bills — [________________________________]
☐ Surgical records — [________________________________]
☐ Diagnostic imaging reports — [________________________________]
☐ Pharmacy records — [________________________________]
☐ Mental health treatment records — [________________________________]
☐ Medical narrative / causation letter — [________________________________]
☐ Life care plan — [________________________________]

Employment and Income Documentation

☐ Employer verification of lost wages letter
☐ Pay stubs / earnings statements
☐ Tax returns (prior 3 years)
☐ Vocational expert report
☐ Economist report

Incident Documentation

☐ Police report / incident report
☐ Photographs of accident scene
☐ Photographs of injuries
☐ Photographs of property damage
☐ Witness statements
☐ Surveillance / dashcam footage
☐ Expert reports

Insurance Documentation

☐ Defendant's declarations page
☐ Claimant's declarations page
☐ PIP payment records
☐ UM/UIM information
☐ Health insurance lien documentation
☐ Medicare / Medicaid conditional payment information

Other

☐ Prior demand correspondence
☐ [________________________________]

XIII. SIGNATURE BLOCK

Respectfully submitted,

[________________________________]
Attorney for Claimant
Kansas Bar No.: [________________________________]

[________________________________]
[Law Firm Name]
[Address]
[City], Kansas [ZIP]
Tel: [________________________________]
Fax: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

XIV. SOURCES AND REFERENCES

Kansas Statutes

• K.S.A. § 60-258a — Modified Comparative Fault (50% Bar); Several Liability Only
• K.S.A. § 60-513(a)(4) — Statute of Limitations (Personal Injury — 2 Years)
• K.S.A. § 60-513(b) — Statute of Repose (10 Years)
• K.S.A. § 60-19a02 — Noneconomic Damages Cap (Struck Down — Hilburn v. Enerpipe)
• K.S.A. § 60-1901 et seq. — Wrongful Death (Noneconomic Cap: $250,000)
• K.S.A. §§ 60-3702, 60-3703 — Punitive damages and amendment procedure
• K.S.A. § 60-3702 — Punitive Damages Cap (K.S.A. § 60-3702(e)–(f) limits)
• K.S.A. § 40-3107 — Mandatory Auto Insurance (25/50/25)
• K.S.A. § 40-3117 — Tort Threshold for PIP
• K.S.A. §§ 16-201(b), 16-204(e)(1) — Civil-tort prejudgment-interest rate formula, when interest is awarded

Key Kansas Cases

• Hilburn v. Enerpipe Ltd., 309 Kan. 1127, 442 P.3d 509 (2019) — Noneconomic damages cap unconstitutional
• Hale v. Brown, 287 Kan. 320 (2008) — Elements of negligence

Official Resources

• Kansas Legislature: https://www.kslegislature.org
• Kansas Insurance Department: https://insurance.ks.gov
• Kansas Judicial Branch: https://www.kscourts.org

This template is designed for use by licensed Kansas attorneys. It must be customized to the specific facts and circumstances of each case. All statutory citations should be verified as current before use. This document does not constitute legal advice.