This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1980. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this property is attributed to releases from site operations, with Cummins Northwest Diesel beginning diesel truck and engine repair activities in 1980 — six years before the 1986 threshold after which occurrence-based CGL policies routinely carried effective pollution exclusions. The USTs at the root of that contamination were installed in 1976, pushing the hardware origins even earlier. Documented remediation spanning three decades — tank removals, multiple soil excavation campaigns, infrastructure overhaul, and long-term monitoring — represents expenditures tied to pre-1986 operations that historical carriers may still be obligated to fund.

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.