This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.

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 gasoline and diesel contamination at this site originated from underground storage tank operations characteristic of long-established service stations predating 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation costs — investigation, cleanup, and the regulatory process leading to the No Further Action determination — were incurred to address releases tied to those historical operations. CGL carriers who provided coverage during the period of tank operations may still be obligated to recover those cleanup expenditures.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.