Hiscox vs Travelers: Professional Liability / E&O Insurance

Travelers underwrites E&O in profession-specific products and sends buyers to an independent agent. Hiscox takes the direct route, letting eligible small businesses quote and buy professional liability online.

Kearny Risk organizes these comparisons for firms whose advice, content or technology creates professional exposures.Research updated 2026-09-25

Hiscox offers online E&O purchase to eligible small businesses in 49 states and Washington, D.C.; Travelers offers profession-specific policies through independent agents.

Sources reviewed

  1. 01
    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 · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    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

  3. 03
    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

  4. 04
    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

  5. 05
    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

  6. 06
    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

  7. 07
    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

  8. 08
    Errors and Omissions Insurance (E&O)

    Travelers · What Is Errors and Omissions Coverage (E&O)?; Who needs errors and omissions insurance?; Select a product; Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America and its property casualty affiliates footer · accessed 2026-09-23

  9. 09
    Management and Professional Liability Insurance

    Travelers · Errors & omissions (E&O) insurance description; Applications and forms for agents: management and professional liability applications · accessed 2026-09-23

  10. 10
    Get business insurance

    U.S. Small Business Administration · Six common types of business insurance table · accessed 2026-09-16

What Are the Key Differences Between Hiscox and Travelers Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?

Online Purchase Versus Independent Agent

Hiscox lets eligible buyers quote and buy online, with licensed advisors available by phone. [3] Travelers directs buyers to an independent agent and provides profession-specific applications and forms. [8] Choose Hiscox for a self-directed purchase if your business and state qualify; choose Travelers if you need an agent and a profession-specific form.

Eligibility and Product Breadth

Hiscox licenses professional liability in 49 states and Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska, and may refer buyers to a specialist broker where online sale is unavailable. [3] Travelers lists separate products for accountants, designers, lawyers, real-estate professionals, insurance professionals, financial institutions and other occupations. [8]

Policy Structure

Hiscox states that its coverage is claims-made, so both the incident timing and claim-reporting period matter. [4] Travelers says it customizes coverage to the profession but does not publish limits or retentions on the reviewed page. [8] Request both forms before comparing exclusions or tail options.

What Should You Confirm in Hiscox and Travelers Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes?

  • Confirm Hiscox online eligibility for your state and exact services. [3]
  • Ask Travelers which profession-specific form and issuing company apply. [8]
  • Compare limits, retentions, retroactive dates, reporting periods and defense costs. [4] [8]

Areas of coverage

Hiscox

  • role: 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. Company-stated online small-business channel.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: 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. 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.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: 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. 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.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: 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. Product FAQ description; exact triggers, retroactive dates, exclusions and wording are set by the issued policy.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The professional-liability pages reviewed do not publish standard limit, retention or deductible amounts; specific figures are shown only on a quote. Public product and FAQ pages as previously reviewed.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • application: 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. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application.company-reportedSource ↗
  • claims: 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. Company-described claims-reporting availability for this product's FAQ; does not establish claim outcomes or turnaround time.company-reportedSource ↗

Travelers

  • role: Travelers underwrites errors and omissions insurance as one of several management and professional liability products, sold as a standalone policy written for the buyer's profession rather than bundled with other lines by default. E&O and management-liability product pages, as read on 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: The E&O page's footer names Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America and its property-casualty affiliates, but Travelers also states the material does not amend any issued policy, so the exact issuing entity for a given E&O product depends on the policy. Footer disclosure on the errors-and-omissions page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Travelers offers separate E&O products by profession, including accountants, design professionals, lawyers, real estate professionals, insurance professionals, life/accident/health insurance agents, managed care organizations, financial institutions and a miscellaneous professional liability option for other client-facing professionals. Product-selection list on the E&O page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Travelers describes E&O as covering the costs of client allegations of inadequate work, negligent actions or failure to meet the expected level of service, including legal defense and settlement costs, and says coverage can be customized to the risks of a specific profession. E&O overview and video transcript; exclusions and limits are not detailed on this page and depend on the policy as issued.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The reviewed E&O page does not publish limit or retention amounts for any of its professional-liability products. Errors-and-omissions page as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • application: Travelers directs buyers to talk to an independent agent to place E&O coverage, and tells agents to use its management-and-professional-liability applications and forms library. E&O page CTA and video transcript.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

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