# First-party claim

> What a first-party claim is in car insurance, how it differs from a third-party claim against another driver's insurer, and when your deductible applies.

Canonical page: https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/first-party-claim/  
Last reviewed: October 28, 2026 by the StateCover Guide editorial team  
General information, not legal or insurance advice.

## Quick answer

A first-party claim is a claim you file with your own insurance company under your own policy. In insurance language the policyholder is the first party, the insurer is the second party, and anyone else, such as the other driver in a crash, is a third party.

## How it works

Common first-party auto claims are made under collision, comprehensive, personal injury protection, medical payments and uninsured motorist coverage. Because you are claiming on your own policy, your deductible usually applies, and your rights come from your policy and your state's claim-handling rules.

A third-party claim is one you make against someone else's liability insurance, usually the at-fault driver's. You do not pay a deductible on it, but that insurer has no contract with you and may dispute who caused the crash.

Example: another driver backs into your parked car. You can file a third-party claim with their insurer and pay no deductible. If their insurer refuses to pay, you can file a first-party collision claim with your own company and pay your deductible, and your insurer will usually try to collect from the other company.

## Related terms

- [Third-party claim](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/third-party-claim/)
- [Claim](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/claim/)
- [Subrogation](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/subrogation/)
- [Deductible](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/deductible/)
- Guide: [Filing a car insurance claim](https://statecover-guide.com/claims/filing-a-claim/)

## Sources

- [California Department of Insurance, Automobile Insurance Terms](https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/autoterms.cfm) — first party, second party and third party definitions
- [Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guide](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb020.html) — deductibles on claims with your own company versus another driver's insurer