Residential
Our team is experience in assisted residential homeowners to fund pollution cleanups from heating oil tanks with old liability policies
Residential Properties and the Need for Insurance Archaeology Services
Historically, many homes were heated using fuel stored in Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) that were situated close to the house to minimize piping distance. While some of these tanks were replaced with electrical heating systems and left abandoned, others are still in use today. Similar to those at gas stations, these USTs have the potential to become sources of pollution, potentially affecting neighboring properties and groundwater.
“Historical USTs for home heating pose pollution risks, especially in older homes; however, historical homeowners’ insurance policies may cover third-party claims for such environmental impacts.“
When it comes to funding pollution caused by old USTs, historical homeowners’ insurance policies, essentially a type of General Liability policy, safeguard against third-party claims. If pollution from an old heating oil tank, which may have been replaced decades ago, impacts neighboring properties or groundwater, a successful claim can be made against the homeowner’s insurance policy that was in effect at the time of the historical release of pollution, many decades ago.
How We Can Help
Our team has assisted hundreds of residential homeowners – from single-family residences to townhomes and apartments – in addressing these environmental concerns. Whether it’s a forgotten UST from the early 20th century or impacts from a neighboring property, environmental risks, Restorical Research is here to guide you through the process in the following ways:
Find Your Policy1.
We locate old homeowners’ policies, without an effective pollution exclusion, that can provide coverage for pollution-related claims and assist in the filing of claims against insurance carrier(s) to fund the needed cleanup.
2.
Our team completes a comprehensive historical analysis to gain a clear understanding of your property’s history including the heating infrastructure to establish a timeline for occurrences of pollution.
3.
We provide recommendations and a Coverage Strategy outlining the path to insurance funding. Then, we work collaboratively with our clients and their legal counsel to tender claims, obtain coverage and manage the entire process.
5.
From initial assessment to claim resolution, our comprehensive process is designed to handle all aspects from insurance archaeology through insurance funding.
