Interest is focusing on liability limits for property damage in auto insurance after a post in an online community drew attention, saying that after rear-ending a semiconductor transport vehicle, the insurance payout was set at nearly 20 billion won. The property damage limit in auto insurance at major nonlife insurers is up to 2 billion won. If a semiconductor transport vehicle is rear-ended and the products are damaged, the driver who caused the accident must compensate for the remainder beyond 2 billion won.
However, the industry says the actual compensation amount is calculated by comprehensively considering the extent of damage to the semiconductors and the circumstances of the accident, so the probability of bearing an enormous expense is low.
On the 1st, an online community carried a post titled "These days, the cars you really get in big trouble if you rear-end." The post included a screenshot of a conversation that said, "Today, a company car and a semiconductor transport vehicle were in a traffic accident, and when the insurance payout was set, it was said to be 19.4 billion won." It went on to warn, "You should be more careful of a 1-ton box truck labeled Samsung than a Rolls-Royce. In particular, be cautious when using the highway between Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong, where the Samsung Electronics semiconductor plant is located."
In the semiconductor industry, it is known that a 12-inch (300 mm) wafer produced by cutting-edge processes such as 3 nm (nanometer, one-billionth of a meter) or 4 nm is priced at roughly 20 million to 30 million won per wafer when the process is complete. Assuming hundreds of wafers are loaded in a vehicle, the amount reaches tens of billions of won, and if they are finished goods, the amount can go even higher.
Currently, the maximum property damage liability limit in auto insurance at major nonlife insurers such as Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, DB Insurance, Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, and Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance is 1 billion won. If the vehicle is an electric car, the limit is around 2 billion won. If the damage exceeds that, the driver must compensate for the remaining amount.
However, the insurance industry does not see a high likelihood that drivers would have to directly compensate amounts in the billions of won. Even if an accident occurs, it is rare for all semiconductor parts to be destroyed, and the compensation amount is determined comprehensively by considering the percentage of fault, the scope of damage, and whether insurance applies.
An insurance industry official said, "If you inflicted major damage on a semiconductor transport vehicle, there is a high possibility of exceeding the maximum property damage liability limit. However, it would not be common for such cases to actually occur."