This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1936. 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.

Contamination at this property stems from petroleum storage and automotive service operations that began as early as the 1930s and continued through the mid-1980s — decades during which occurrence-based CGL policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation costs, including multiple rounds of tank removal, soil excavation, and spill response, were incurred to address releases tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the site's long operational window may be obligated both to recover past cleanup expenditures and to fund the remediation work that remains ahead.

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.