Harper vs 
Hiscox Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
Hiscox names its own underwriting entity for professional liability; Harper places the line with outside carriers it does not name.
What Is Harper Insurance?
Harper is a commercial insurance brokerage for businesses with complex risks. Its specialists use AI tools to gather information, seek quotes from insurers and help customers manage coverage. 1,2
What Is Hiscox?
Hiscox is a U.S. small-business insurance brand whose website is operated by Hiscox Inc., a Delaware producer that does business in California as Hiscox Insurance Agency. Eligible firms can quote general liability, professional liability, cyber and a business owner’s policy online; other advertised lines are often placed with partner insurers, so the issuing company on each quote still has to be checked. 6,7,8
What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?
Professional errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, also called professional liability insurance, addresses claims that professional services or advice caused a client financial loss. What's covered depends on the services actually scheduled in the policy, not the product label alone. 12,13,14,15
Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
Named Underwriter Versus Unnamed Carrier
Hiscox's page states which entity underwrites its admitted professional liability policies directly: 11
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. 11,8Company-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.
Harper instead places professional liability with carriers it does not name; its pages describe pricing drivers, services performed, revenue and contract size, without naming an issuing insurer. 3
Policy Trigger
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. 10 Harper's pages describe coverage for errors and omissions in the work itself, negligence allegations, and legal defense costs, but do not state whether the policies it places are claims-made or occurrence. 3
Geographic Availability
Hiscox says professional liability is licensed for sale in 49 states and Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska, and that a specialist broker may help in states where it does not sell online. 9 Harper's pages do not state a jurisdiction limit; they instead target consultants, agencies, tech firms and licensed professionals whose work product is advice, design or a decision. 3
What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes
- Hiscox names Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. as its admitted underwriter generally; confirm that entity issues policies in your specific state. 11
- Harper's professional-liability pages name pricing drivers but not a carrier; ask which insurer it places once it presents options for your business. 3
- Neither reviewed page publishes specific limit or retention amounts; request both directly. 9 3
- Ask Hiscox what its 24/7 current-customer claims line covers, and ask Harper how it supports a claim once a client contract requires the coverage it places. 10 3
Offering Details
Harper vs Hiscox Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Harper Professional Liability Insurance | Hiscox Professional Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Harper places professional liability coverage as a broker, writing the policy around the applicant's actual services rather than underwriting it, and describes a specialist handling the placement. 3Company-reported. Professional liability page introduction and 'Why Harper' section. Harper markets the identical policy under two catalogue entries, "Professional Liability" and "Errors and Omissions"; the E&O page states it is the same policy, just named what a given industry calls it. 4,5Company-reported. Coverage directory listing plus the E&O page's own description; a naming convention Harper states about itself, not a distinction between two products. | 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. 8,9Company-reported. Company-stated online small-business channel. |
| Issuing Insurer | The reviewed pages name pricing drivers (services performed, revenue, contract size) but do not name the issuing insurer or publish specific limit, retention or premium figures for this line. 3,4Not publicly disclosed. Checked both the professional-liability and errors-and-omissions pages on 2026-09-23; neither names a carrier or a limit figure. | 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. 11,8Company-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 | Harper targets consultants, agencies, tech firms and licensed professionals whose work product is advice, design or a decision, since general liability doesn't cover a client claiming that work caused a financial loss. 3Company-reported. Professional liability page introduction and FAQ distinguishing it from general liability. | 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. 9,11Company-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 | Harper describes coverage for errors and omissions in the work itself, negligence allegations about professional judgment, and legal defense costs, with limits it says are matched to the client contracts that require the policy. 3,4Company-reported. Professional liability page's four coverage tiles; the E&O page adds that claims often surface a year or more after the work was delivered. The issued policy and its exclusions control actual scope. | 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. 10Company-reported. Product FAQ description; exact triggers, retroactive dates, exclusions and wording are set by the issued policy. |
| Limits and Retentions | Not described in the reviewed sources. | The professional-liability pages reviewed do not publish standard limit, retention or deductible amounts; specific figures are shown only on a quote. 9,10Not publicly disclosed. Public product and FAQ pages as previously reviewed. |
| Risk Services | Harper says it reads a policy's exclusions line by line before a client buys, because two E&O policies with the same limit can respond very differently to the same claim. 3Company-reported. Professional liability page 'We know this' section; a described review practice, not an independently verified outcome. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| How to Apply | You request a quote online or by phone; if a client contract requires E&O, Harper says it places coverage matching that requirement and issues the certificate the same day. 3Company-reported. Professional liability page quote form and FAQ 'My client contract requires E&O. What now?'. | 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. 9Company-reported. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application. |
| Claims Support | Not described in the reviewed sources. | 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. 10Company-reported. Company-described claims-reporting availability for this product's FAQ; does not establish claim outcomes or turnaround time. |
Full Comparison
More Harper vs Hiscox Comparisons
Other Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Harper
- Text Messaging Terms and Conditions. Harper Global Enterprises Inc.; Effective August 24, 2026; sections 1–3 (entity, consent and service messages), 5 (message costs), 9 (delivery) and 11 (coverage confirmation). Accessed 2026-09-15.
- We're Announcing $47M to Build the Insurance Company Every Business Deserves. Harper / Dakotah Rice; February 26, 2026 article: brokerage identity; AI-assisted submissions and follow-ups; 24–48-hour coverage statement; more than 165 underwriters; plans for additional direct appointments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Professional Liability Insurance. Harper; Know your coverage: What is Professional Liability insurance?; Errors & omissions, Negligence allegations, Legal defense, Contract-driven limits; Why Harper; FAQs on general liability vs. E&O, client E&O requirements, and pricing drivers. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Errors and Omissions Insurance. Harper; Page states the product is 'Same policy as professional liability, just what your industry calls it'; describes financial-loss claims from professional services and late-arriving claims. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- What We Cover. Harper; Coverage directory list including Errors and Omissions and Professional Liability as separate catalogue entries. Accessed 2026-09-23.
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.
