Blockchain technology has gained traction as a helpful solution in reducing costs, fraud risks and/or cyber attacks in various financial services sectors. Yet the one sector that has been struggling with blockchain adoption is the insurance industry. Primarily because basic blockchain features, specifically anonymity of participants, do not conform with basic regulatory and legal requirements that tend to vary in certain jurisdictions.
Federal and state insurance laws require insurance holders to provide personal data and other information in relation to policy coverage. Yet provision of such information is subject to data and privacy protection laws. While blockchain technology allows anonymity between transacting parties, transactions run on a decentralized system that reduces information failure, which at times, poses an advantage to one party over another. Financial transactions carried in the blockchain ledger are blocks of encrypted pieces of stored information.
An Example of How Automobile Insurance Laws Work
In citing an example of how automobile insurance laws work, reference is made to vehicle insurance requirements in North Carolina. The state is one of several U.S. jurisdictions that require additional insurance protection for uninsured and underinsured third parties. Uninsured or underinsured third parties who suffer from bodily injury, damage to property or death as results of a car accident, can make financial claims from the car insurance provider of the driver at fault.
The Old North State also requires motorists who drive rented/leased vehicles, or drive vehicles that they do not own, to obtain non-owner insurance coverage as financial protection
Moreover, the state does not acknowledge out-of-state insurance policies as acceptable compliance with NC’s insurance laws. Primarily because the state laws require all vehicles registered with North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to purchase continuous liability insurance coverage from a North Carolina-licensed insurance company.
Under the state’s laws, NC’s insurance companies are required to notify the NC-DMV if an owner of a vehicle has canceled his liability insurance policy or has allowed his policy to expire for any reason. The NC-DMV will then send the owner of the vehicle, a notification about the terminated or expired policy, whilst giving the car owner 10 days to respond.
Failure to respond or for that matter, obtain continuous liability coverage will result in the revocation and surrender of the car’s license plate. In addition, the car owner will have to pay civil penalties, late fees and interests.
Apparently, all these denote that transactions related to insurance coverage in the Tar Heel State are for the account of the vehicle owner only. Unlike goods and other financial services that can be transacted anonymously by way of blockchain, insurance policy transactions must point and be confined to the account of a purchaser, and whose identity must be specified for reporting purposes.
Cost of Liability Insurance Policies, a Greater Concern for NC Motorists
The greater concern among owners of vehicles in North Carolina is the cost of liability insurance and not the manner by which they can be bought. NC’s minimum coverage amounts are higher when compared to other states.
That is why many North Carolinians prefer to lease rather than own a car, and then buy a non-owner insurance policy for their protection and as a cost-efficient means of complying with insurance laws. In the event that they decide to buy and own a car, the non-owner insurance can simply be converted into the more conforming type of insurance coverage with little if no extra costs.
As there are also many providers of non-owner insurance in NC, those looking for one can simply go to website of Non Owners Car Insurance NC to compare insurance quotes, so they can save on auto insurance and cost of SR22 or proof of minimum liability insurance coverage.
