This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1951. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.

Why Historical Insurance Policies May Be Accessible

Pre-1986 Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies were occurrence-based and did not contain an effective pollution exclusion in Washington. If contamination occurred while those policies were active, those historical insurance carriers may still have a legal obligation to fund the cleanup costs, even if the business closed or the property changed hands.

The diesel range petroleum hydrocarbons found in soil and groundwater here trace directly to fuel oil tanks installed in 1951 and operated for more than three decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still lacked effective pollution exclusions. Carriers who issued CGL policies to the hospital or its prior operators during that pre-1986 operational window wrote those policies on an occurrence basis, leaving them potentially obligated for contamination that originated then. The remediation costs already incurred — UST removals, soil excavation, and ongoing groundwater monitoring — and those still ahead represent expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful coverage claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage. Restorical then manages the claim, including accounting, to ensure the cleanup is funded in a timely manner.