Public Liability

Compared against: Hiscox, Direct Line, Simply Business

Claims AXA makes that competitors do not (3)

Explicit mention of inflation protection mechanism

Source: AXA

Business insurance helps to take away the burden of keeping your sums insured and estimates in line with inflation – we use recognised independent indices to amend your sums insured and estimates to reflect inflation.

Specific coverage for breach of confidentiality under professional indemnity

Source: AXA

For example, breach of confidentiality, defamation, breach of copyright, loss of documents and breach of professional duty are all covered as part of your professional indemnity policy.

Coverage for hired-in plant/tools as optional add-on

Source: AXA

If you need to hire tools from a third party to complete a job, then Hired-in plant cover will cover the cost of replacing or repairing these tools if they are damaged in your care.

Claims competitors make that AXA does not (5)

Explicit mention of product liability inclusion in public liability cover

Source: Direct Line

Yes. We include product liability within our public liability cover. If you make or sell items, you'll be covered if one of your products injures a member of the public or damages their property, and you're held liable for the incident.

Specific claim payout example with monetary value

Source: Simply Business

Imran saved more than £19,000

Explicit 24-hour claims settlement metric

Source: Simply Business

Claims paid in 24 hours For over 95% of settled claims

Specific compensation amount for court attendance

Source: Hiscox

You, your directors, or employees are required to attend court as a witness in connection with a claim. You can receive up to £10,000 in compensation.

Explicit mention of cyber insurance as separate product

Source: Hiscox

Claims related to any cyber attack or transmission of a computer virus. Our cyber insurance could help in this case.

Areas where AXA's language is weaker (7)

Speed of claims settlement

AXA says:

— nothing on this topic —

Simply Business says:

Claims paid in 24 hours For over 95% of settled claims

Instant proof of cover availability

AXA says:

— nothing on this topic —

Direct Line says:

We provide instant proof of cover with your policy that's available to download when you take out insurance with us.

Same-day policy documents

AXA says:

— nothing on this topic —

Simply Business says:

Get covered and all your documents the same day

Specific court attendance compensation

AXA says:

— nothing on this topic —

Hiscox says:

You can receive up to £10,000 in compensation.

Quantified claims paid metric

AXA says:

— nothing on this topic —

Simply Business says:

£57 million in claims paid out in 2025

Customer base size transparency

AXA says:

— nothing on this topic —

Hiscox says:

We insure 460,000 businesses in the UK

Specific monthly cost entry point

AXA says:

AXA customers pay from £75** a year for business insurance.

Hiscox says:

Our public liability insurance starts at £5.20 per month

Differentiation suggestions (8)

Publish a specific claims settlement speed metric (e.g., '95% of claims settled within X days') to match competitor transparency on Simply Business and Hiscox

Competitors are actively promoting fast claims handling as a key differentiator. AXA's policy documents mention claims procedures but provide no speed guarantee, creating a perception gap on a high-anxiety customer touchpoint.

Highlight the inflation protection mechanism more prominently in marketing materials and comparison pages

This is a genuine AXA-only feature that addresses a real customer pain point (keeping coverage adequate over time), but it is buried in policy documents rather than featured as a selling point against competitors.

Add a quantified claims paid metric to the main product page (e.g., '£X million in claims paid to UK businesses in 2024')

Simply Business and Hiscox both use this social proof tactic. AXA's absence of this metric weakens trust positioning, especially for price-sensitive SMEs evaluating multiple providers.

Create a dedicated section explaining what is automatically included in public liability cover (e.g., product liability, court attendance costs) to match Direct Line and Hiscox clarity

Competitors explicitly state inclusions like product liability and court attendance compensation. AXA's product page does not clearly itemize what comes 'as standard,' creating ambiguity that may deter quote-starters.

Promote instant/same-day proof of cover and policy documents as a feature on the main product page

Direct Line and Simply Business both highlight immediate document availability. AXA's policy documents confirm this is available but it is not marketed as a convenience benefit, missing a low-friction competitive advantage.

Develop a real-world claims case study with a specific payout amount to match Simply Business and Hiscox examples

Competitors use concrete claim examples (e.g., 'Imran saved £19,000') to build confidence. AXA's customer reviews are generic. A specific, relatable claim narrative would strengthen emotional trust.

Explicitly state the £10 million employers' liability limit and any court attendance compensation amounts in the main product page, not just policy documents

Hiscox explicitly mentions £10,000 court attendance compensation; AXA buries this in PDFs. Making limits and benefits visible on the main page reduces friction and improves perceived transparency.

Add a 'What's included' checklist for public liability (e.g., product liability, legal defence, court attendance) to match competitor clarity

Simply Business and Hiscox use clear bullet-point inclusions. AXA's narrative format is less scannable and leaves customers uncertain about what is standard vs. optional, increasing abandonment risk.