The Hartford Business Insurance Review 2023: Pros, Cons and Coverage Options

The Hartford business insurance

The Hartford stands out among business insurance companies for its customizable business owner's policy. Most BOPs include general liability, business property and business interruption insurance, but The Hartford allows you to tack on data breach and professional liability coverage too — simplifying your business insurance coverage even further.

You can get a quote online from The Hartford and buy a policy through an independent insurance agent.

The Hartford business insurance: Pros and cons

The Hartford business insurance: Types of coverage

The Hartford offers the following coverage options for small-business owners:

• Business owner's policies.

• General liability insurance.

• Professional liability insurance.

• Workers’ compensation insurance.

• Commercial property insurance.

• Business income insurance.

• Data breach insurance.

• Commercial umbrella insurance.

• Commercial auto insurance.

Beyond those core business insurance products, The Hartford also offers employment practices liability, multinational insurance, liquor liability coverage and home-based business insurance, among other options.

The Hartford does business in every state except Alaska and Hawaii, though the availability of specific policy types varies by state. For example, business owner's policies are not available in Michigan.

The company offers coverage to businesses in more than 60 different industries.

» MORE: How to get business insurance

The Hartford general liability insurance

The Hartford offers general liability insurance with coverage limits ranging from $300,000 to $2 million. You can get a quote online, but you’ll need to speak to an agent to purchase the policy.

General liability insurance is recommended for all business owners. It typically covers bodily injury, damage to a third party’s property, customer injury, advertising injury, medical expenses and legal defense costs. If your business is sued, general liability insurance can help cover legal fees and settlements.

Liability coverage only applies to third-party claims, such as employee injuries. It doesn’t cover theft or damage to your property, for example.

The Hartford professional liability insurance (errors and omissions insurance)

The Hartford professional liability insurance is designed to protect businesses against actual or alleged errors and omissions in the professional services or advice they provide. Your business may need this kind of insurance protection if it provides services to customers for a fee.

The Hartford policy limits for professional liability insurance range from $250,000 to $2 million, and you can customize your coverage to meet the needs of your business and industry. For example, a freelance coder might need software copyright infringement coverage, but the owner of a hair salon might not.

The Hartford professional liability insurance covers:

• Alleged or actual negligence, such as misinterpreting instructions, mistakes in work, bad advice or failing to complete work.

• Legal defense costs.

The Hartford workers’ comp insurance

Workers’ compensation insurance pays for medical expenses related to employees' work-related injuries and illnesses. It can also protect a business from employee lawsuits associated with those injuries. Most states require some form of workers’ comp for companies with employees.

The Hartford’s workers’ compensation insurance comes with a preferred medical provider network of over 1 million health care providers and more than 65,000 pharmacies.

Workers’ compensation insurance covers employee medical care costs and most of their lost wages if they need time to get better. It also provides some disability benefits and pays for funerals. Workers’ comp may also cover your legal bills if an injured employee or their family sues you.

How much does The Hartford business insurance cost?

A BOP from The Hartford cost $261 per month on average in 2021, according to the company^[0]

It’s difficult to predict the cost of business insurance, as rates vary widely depending on coverage, location, business type and associated risk factors.

You can get a business insurance quote from The Hartford by supplying a few details, including your business name, physical address and years in operation. You may also need to provide revenue and payroll estimates, as well as gross sales numbers, depending on your business and the coverage selected.

Should you purchase business insurance from The Hartford?

The Hartford may be a good fit for your business if:

• You want a robust business owner's policy. The Hartford allows you to add data breach and professional liability insurance to its BOP. If your business needs either of those important types of coverage, tacking them onto your BOP may help you save money.

• You need a wide variety of coverages. The Hartford offers virtually every type of business insurance, so most businesses should be able to get whatever policies they need — though you might have to work with an agent to do so.

• You want to manage your policy yourself online. The Hartford allows policyholders to add additional insureds, generate certificates of insurance and track claims online, which isn't always the case among longstanding insurance companies.

Alternatives to The Hartford business insurance

NerdWallet recommends getting quotes from multiple business insurance companies to find the policy that best fits your needs. You may want to consider the following alternatives:

• If you place a premium on good customer service: The Hartford received the lowest customer satisfaction score of any insurance company in J.D. Power's 2022 U.S. Small Commercial Insurance Study. State Farm received the highest. You'll have to work with an agent to get a quote and buy insurance from State Farm, though.

• If you don't want to work with an insurance agent: Huckleberry is a brokerage that offers a wide range of policies from several different insurance companies. Shoppers can get quotes and buy policies online, sometimes in just a few minutes.

• If you want a BOP without any additional coverage: Chubb sells a business owner's policy that includes the standard protections — general liability, commercial property and business interruption insurance, plus extra expense coverage — which businesses with less than $1 million in annual revenue can buy online. Since BOPs are generally quite similar from one provider to another, businesses that don't need professional liability insurance may want to compare quotes from Chubb and The Hartford to find the best price.