Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs The Hartford: Professional Liability / E&O Insurance

What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?

Form breadth and reporting basis

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance describes a professional-liability form for architects, engineers and consultants that also addresses pollution, media, technology and cyber/network-security exposures. The Hartford says many of its professional-liability policies are claims-made with a retroactive date and an extended reporting period, while some are occurrence-based. These descriptions concern different dimensions: BHSI highlights combined exposure scope, while The Hartford makes the policy trigger and post-expiration reporting period explicit. [1] [7]

Profession-specific fit

The Hartford lists accountants, consultants, designers, advertising, technology and healthcare among its professional-liability audiences. BHSI identifies several Professional First products and names specific target professions. The overlap does not confirm that the same forms or limits are available for a given profession; a technology company in particular should distinguish standard professional liability from a specialized technology E&O policy. [7] [3]

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and The Hartford Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes?

Ask The Hartford whether your quote is claims-made or occurrence and what retroactive and extended reporting dates apply. [7]
Ask BHSI whether its combined form applies and which exposures are actually scheduled. [1]
Compare limits, defense costs and exclusions for your exact services. [7] [3]

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s design-professional form combines several exposures, while The Hartford describes claims-made and occurrence E&O forms with optional extended reporting periods.

Sources reviewed

01
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
02
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
03
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
04
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
05
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
06
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
07
Professional Liability Insurance Coverage
The Hartford · What Is Professional Liability Insurance Coverage?; What Does Professional Liability Insurance Cover?; Who Needs Professional Liability Insurance Coverage?; How Much Does Professional Liability Insurance Cost?; How Does Professional Liability Insurance Work? (claims-made vs. occurrence) · accessed 2026-09-23
08
Get business insurance
U.S. Small Business Administration · Six common types of business insurance table · accessed 2026-09-16

Areas of coverage

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

coverage: BHSI’s U.S. Professional First overview identifies Lawyers Professional Liability and Miscellaneous Professional Liability alongside Technology E&O and Media Liability. Portfolio catalogue statement; the specific legal/professional class and form must be selected rather than treating the offerings as one policy.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
eligibility: 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. U.S. Professional First target statements; class-specific eligibility only.company-reportedSource ↗
coverage: For architects, engineers and consultants, BHSI describes a professional-liability form that also addresses pollution, media, technology and cyber/network-security exposures. This is a specialized design-industry combined form, not generic E&O wording or proof that all risks receive each component.company-reportedSource ↗
services: The Professional First overview describes its in-house claims handling group as experienced in complex, high-value claims and integrated with underwriting. Company-reported portfolio-level claim-service description, not independently measured claims performance.company-reportedSource ↗

The Hartford

role: The Hartford's professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, protects businesses when they make mistakes in the professional services provided to clients, including claims that turn out to be baseless. Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
coverage: The Hartford says the policy can cover claims of negligence, misrepresentation, inaccurate advice, personal injury (libel/slander) and copyright infringement, plus defense costs. Many of its professional liability policies are written on a claims-made basis with a retroactive date and an extended reporting period (typically 30-60 days, extendable to a year or more for an added cost), though some are written on an occurrence basis. Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23. General coverage and policy-form description; the issued policy controls.company-reportedSource ↗
eligibility: The Hartford targets professional liability at businesses that sign contracts requiring coverage, offer professional services directly to customers, or regularly give advice to clients, and lists industries it covers: accountants, consultants, interior designers, advertising agencies, graphic designers, technology professionals and healthcare professionals. Professional liability product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
limits: The Hartford publishes average minimum monthly premiums by product: Misc. Professional Liability Standalone $62, Misc. Professional Liability Endorsement $41, Architects and Engineers Professional Liability $239, Healthcare Professionals Professional Liability $38, and Errors & Omissions Insurance for Technology Companies $146. The page does not publish standard coverage limits or retentions; cost and limits are set at quote. Company-reported pricing as of 2026-09-23 (page last updated by The Hartford May 4, 2026); premiums are not coverage limits.company-reportedSource ↗