Purchasing a car brings many unceasing responsibilities
Understanding the Difference Between First-Party and Third-Party Car Insurance
You invest a great deal of consideration into purchasing a car. Similarly, it’s essential to devote equal attention to securing the best protection for your vehicle. The most practical approach to ensure this is to invest in a car insurance policy that will safeguard your car against any potential damage.
The idea of getting auto insurance might seem intimidating to some and unavailing to others. For the latter, here’s why you need a car insurance policy.
There are situations like accidents, third-party damage, theft, natural calamities, man-made disasters, etc., which are completely unprecedented. To keep your car insured for any of these damages, you need a car insurance policy as they compensate the losses depending on your coverage amount.
Which car insurance you should consider to purchase?
There are two types of car insurance that you can buy.
• First-Party Car Insurance
• Third-Party Car Insurance
Before we get into the details, let’s know a little bit about the parties involved in a car insurance policy.
The first-party in a car insurance policy
The first party in first-party car insurance refers to the policyholder or car owner who has obtained coverage from an insurance provider. They are responsible for paying the premium for their policy and can submit a claim if their vehicle sustains any damage.
The second-party in a car insurance policy
The second-party is the policy provided by the insurance company that the first party has purchased a policy from. They are responsible for insuring the claim filed by the first party under the policy in case of any damage.
The third-party in a car insurance policy
The third-party is the individual who faces personal, vehicle, or property damage caused by the first party. In case of any damage to the third party by the first party, the second party compensates for the losses on behalf of the latter.
What is first-party car insurance?
Under a first-party car insurance policy, the cost of compensation is incurred by the first-party in case of any damage to their vehicle or life. This is also called a comprehensive car insurance policy. On filing the claim, the second-party i.e., the insurance company, pays for all the losses covered under the policy by the first party.
What is third-party car insurance?
Under a third-party car insurance policy, the second-party i.e the first-party’s car insurance company compensates only for the third party. This insurance is valid in case of any damage to the vehicle, life, or property of the third-party.
Key Differences Between First-Party and Third-Party Car Insurance Policies?
1st-party car insurance | Third-party car insurance |
First party car insurance is not mandatory by law. | Third-party car insurance is mandatory under the Motor Vehicle Act 1988. |
First-party insurance covers damages or losses sustained by the policyholder or their vehicle due to events like accidents, theft, natural disasters, or fire. | Third-party insurance covers only the damages or losses caused to a third party, such as property damage or injuries resulting from an accident involving the insured vehicle. |
The first-party individual has to be the car owner or the policyholder. | The third-party individual can be anyone part from first-party or second-party like a pedestrian, a person whose property is damaged by the first-party, or the driver in case of the vehicle. |
No property damages are covered in this policy for the first-party. | Any property damage caused by the first-party to the third-party is settled under this policy. |
A car insurance policy is your safety net. In case of damage to you or anyone else, if you are the one to cause it, you are one to incur the losses. Hence, with a car insurance policy, you can be at peace mentally and not worry about facing financial losses under any circumstances covered by your policy.
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