Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs 
Hiscox: How Do They Compare for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?
What Is Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance?
BHSI provides commercial and specialty insurance in the U.S., with product-specific industry lists that include healthcare, energy and technology. Online quote and application submissions are nonbinding. 1,2,3,4
Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance profile
Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance page
What Is Hiscox?
Hiscox suits eligible small businesses that want online GL, professional liability, cyber or BOP quotes; businesses needing other specialty products should compare brokers. Core Hiscox NOW policies are usually issued by its own insurer, while some products use partners. 8,9,10
What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?
Professional liability can help pay defense costs and covered losses when a client says your advice or service caused financial harm. If customers rely on your work, list every service you provide and check the claims-made reporting and prior-work terms. 14,15,16,17
Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
What the Published Offering Defines
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists distinct professional lines, including MPL, technology E&O and lawyers liability, with target classes such as staffing, consulting, marketing and real estate. Hiscox sells professional liability directly online to small businesses through its Hiscox NOW catalog; its admitted product is available in 49 states and Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska. For a small firm seeking direct purchase, Hiscox’s stated route is concrete; a specialized business can compare Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s named professional classes. 6 10
Buying and Policy Details to Resolve
Hiscox says its admitted professional-liability policies are underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. and describes a claims-made policy with a 24/7 professional-liability claims phone line. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s reviewed record lists professional products and an in-house claims group but not policy-specific insurer details for a proposal. Ask both for the retroactive date, reporting requirements and how defense costs affect limits, especially if you are changing insurers or need prior-work protection. 12 6
What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes
Review Scores
These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Review Score
No reviews found
The public ratings for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance are low but thin: Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 9 reviews and BBB shows 1 out of 5 from 6. Both mix travel and commercial customers, so we don't count them in a score.[5][7]
Read Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance reviewsHiscox
Review Score
4 rated sources
Hiscox’s review results are sharply divided: low Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs scores contrast with strong Feefo feedback. Service quality deserves closer scrutiny before purchase.[1][4][5][6][7]
Read Hiscox reviewsOffering Details
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Hiscox: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Professional First Professional Liability portfolio | Hiscox Professional Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Hiscox Inc., a licensed insurance intermediary, sells professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage directly online to small businesses as part of its Hiscox NOW admitted small-business catalogue. 10,11Company-reported. Company-stated online small-business channel. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200) as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW professional-liability policies. 13,10Company-reported. Admitted small-business professional liability as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote. |
| Who It’s For | The overview names staffing firms, management consultants, marketing firms and real-estate firms as targeted customers for Miscellaneous Professional Liability; it separately lists law-firm size bands for Lawyers Professional Liability. 6Company-reported. U.S. Professional First target statements; class-specific eligibility only. | Hiscox says professional liability is licensed for sale in 49 states and Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska, and that if it does not sell the product online in a buyer's state, a specialist broker may be able to help instead. 11,13Company-reported. Company-stated jurisdiction for the online small-business catalogue; the appetite guide's technology classes (IT consultants, software development) illustrate typical buyers but do not guarantee acceptance for any one applicant. |
| Coverage Features | BHSI’s U.S. Professional First overview identifies Lawyers Professional Liability and Miscellaneous Professional Liability alongside Technology E&O and Media Liability. 6,5Company-reported. Portfolio catalogue statement; the specific legal/professional class and form must be selected rather than treating the offerings as one policy. For architects, engineers and consultants, BHSI describes a professional-liability form that also addresses pollution, media, technology and cyber/network-security exposures. 7Company-reported. This is a specialized design-industry combined form, not generic E&O wording or proof that all risks receive each component. | Hiscox describes professional liability as a claims-made policy, meaning a claim is covered only if it is made (and typically reported) while the policy is active, rather than an occurrence policy covering incidents regardless of when the claim surfaces. 12Company-reported. Product FAQ description; exact triggers, retroactive dates, exclusions and wording are set by the issued policy. |
| Limits and Retentions | Confirm in your quote. | The professional-liability pages reviewed do not publish standard limit, retention or deductible amounts; specific figures are shown only on a quote. 11,12Not publicly disclosed. Public product and FAQ pages as previously reviewed. |
| Risk Services | The Professional First overview describes its in-house claims handling group as experienced in complex, high-value claims and integrated with underwriting. 6Company-reported. Company-reported portfolio-level claim-service description, not independently measured claims performance. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | Hiscox says eligible buyers can quote and buy professional liability online, with licensed advisors available by phone during posted hours for questions during the process. 11Company-reported. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application. |
| Claims Support | Confirm in your quote. | A professional-liability FAQ tells current customers that the claims phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, separate from the general claims-center hours listed elsewhere on the Hiscox site. 12Company-reported. Company-described claims-reporting availability for this product's FAQ; does not establish claim outcomes or turnaround time. |
Full Comparison
More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Hiscox Comparisons
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Sources
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
- At A Glance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; United States section, zero-based PDF pages 49–53 (viewer pages 50–54): product/industry lists on pages 49–50; U.S. disclosure/version footer on page 53 is 2026-8-03 A. The 2026-09-14 A footer is on preceding European page 48, not the U.S. section. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- About Us. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; About BHSI; company profile page re-opened through official site on 2026-09-28; company says it is part of National Indemnity group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Terms of Service. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Important Information Concerning Use of this Web Site, paragraphs 2–4; nonbinding submissions, contracted-agent authority, state variation, product availability and policy-specific terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Public Disclosure — Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Singapore Branch. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Singapore branch public disclosure, Company Profile ¶¶ 1–2; direct page opened 2026-09-28. ¶ 1 identifies BHSIC as a Nebraska-domiciled direct P&C insurer; ¶ 2 states BHSIC is wholly owned by National Indemnity Company, itself wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Professional First Professional Liability. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; U.S. Professional Liability landing page links Professional Liability / Network Security & Privacy, stand-alone Network Security & Privacy, and Architects, Engineers and Consultants PL, lines 6–15; footer copyright © 2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Professional First Professional Liability Overview. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; PDF pp.1–2: claims group and reporting; primary blended E&O/Cyber and stand-alone Cyber forms; line capacity statement; named Lawyers PL, Technology E&O, Miscellaneous PL, Media Liability, Network Security & Privacy; named technology-services target types and selection categories; dated 2026-06-03-A. Group capacity not a line policy limit. Source version: 2026-06-03-A. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Professional First Architects, Engineers and Consultants Professional Liability. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Product Highlights: professional/pollution liability; media, technology and cyber/network security/privacy liability; direct breach/extortion expenses; risk services; primary/excess and project-specific product availability; target professions, lines 6–29. Its combined-form technology feature is not itself a standalone Tech E&O statement. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Hiscox
- Website Terms & Conditions of Use. Hiscox; Last modified May 28, 2024; Hiscox Inc. as Delaware corporation headquartered in Atlanta, d/b/a Hiscox Insurance Agency in CA, licensed intermediary for admitted and surplus-lines business with Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., other domestic insurers, and Lloyd’s syndicates; small-business online path distinguished from broker-only site sections. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Get A Small Business Insurance Quote. Hiscox; States that Hiscox offers general liability, professional liability, cyber security and business owner’s policies online; zip-code quote field; licensed-agent hours Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–10 p.m. ET and Saturday–Sunday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability Insurance for Small Businesses. Hiscox; Professional liability/E&O product; licensed in 49 states and Washington, D.C. (Alaska excluded); specialist-broker assistance if not licensed in a state; licensed-advisor hours. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- What is Professional Liability Insurance? Hiscox; Claims-made description; current-customer claim number described as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Hiscox US Agent Appetite Guide. Hiscox; Hiscox NOW admitted GL, PL, cyber and BOP underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.; technology classes including IT consultants and software development. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Guide
- FAQ: Professional liability insurance. Texas Department of Insurance; What’s professional liability coverage?; What types of damages…; What’s general liability insurance?; Do I need professional liability… if I have general liability…?; Is professional liability insurance required?; Can a client require…?; What’s the difference between occurrence policies and claims-made policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional liability insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Opening paragraphs (professional services/advice and E&O name); Claims not covered by general liability; What types of businesses need professional liability insurance?; What’s covered… and what’s not (claims-made versus occurrence, defense and judgments, non-financial/intentional limits, BOP/in-home exclusion). Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Get business insurance. U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance. Hiscox Inc. specimen; About this Policy / Coverage for Claims Made Against You; I.A Insuring Agreement; I.B Defense; I.C Settlement; II.A Notice of Claims; II.C Optional Extended Reporting Period; III.A, III.K, III.M, III.R, III.S Exclusions; IV.A–B Limits and Deductible; VI.O Professional Services; VI.U Wrongful Act. Accessed 2026-09-16.
