Glossary

First-party claim

A claim you make under your own insurance policy, such as collision, comprehensive, PIP or uninsured motorist coverage.

Also called: first party claim, own-policy claim

A first-party claim is one you file with your own insurer under coverage you bought for yourself. In auto insurance that includes collision coverage and comprehensive for your car, personal injury protection and medical payments for your injuries, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, rental reimbursement and roadside assistance. The insurer's obligation comes from your contract with it.

The opposite is a third-party claim, where you claim against another driver's liability coverage because they caused your loss. A first-party claim is often faster: your insurer deals with you directly, pays according to the policy and subtracts your deductible. If someone else was at fault, your insurer can then pursue them or their insurer through subrogation and may recover your deductible.

Because you are the insurer's customer, first-party claims carry specific protections. Many states follow an NAIC model regulation that requires insurers to accept or deny a first-party claim within 21 days of receiving proof of loss, or explain why they need more time, and an unreasonable denial can amount to bad faith. A first-party claim after a crash you caused may raise your premium; not-at-fault claims usually affect it less, depending on state rules and the insurer.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026

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Related terms

Third-party claim A claim you make against another driver's insurance for damage or injuries that driver caused, rather than against your own policy. Subrogation An insurer's right, after paying your claim, to recover that money from the party who caused the loss, often getting your deductible back too. Deductible The amount you pay toward a covered loss before your insurer pays the rest, set per claim for coverages like collision and comprehensive. Bad faith An insurer's unreasonable handling of a claim, such as denying, delaying or underpaying without a proper basis, which can expose it to damages. Collision coverage Pays to repair or replace your own car after it hits another vehicle or object, or rolls over, regardless of fault, minus your deductible.

Related guides

Insurance bad faith explained What counts as insurer bad faith, how first-party and third-party claims differ, the state laws behind them, and what to do if your claim is mishandled. Diminished value claims Why a repaired car can be worth less after a crash, when you can claim that loss from the at-fault driver's insurer, and how to document the claim. Do you pay a deductible if the accident was not your fault? No deductible if the other driver's insurer pays; you pay it upfront if you use your own collision coverage, then get it back through subrogation. First-party vs third-party claims The difference between claiming on your own policy and claiming against the at-fault driver's insurer, and how to choose when the other driver caused the crash. How to file a car insurance claim, step by step The steps from the scene of the accident to the final payment, what to have ready when you call, and the deadlines insurers must meet. Repair delays, parts shortages and running out of rental coverage Why repairs drag on, how rental reimbursement limits run out, what the at-fault driver's insurer owes for loss of use, and what to do when rental days end.

Related tools

Should I file a claim? calculator Compare what an insurance claim would pay with what a possible premium increase could cost over the following years, using your own numbers.