This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1979. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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 petroleum contamination at this property originated from underground storage tanks installed in 1979 — seven years before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with effective pollution exclusions. The leak went undetected for decades before its 2007 discovery, exactly the kind of long-duration, progressive release that pre-1986 CGL policies were structured to cover. Documented remediation expenditures — tank removal, large-scale soil excavation, well installation, years of groundwater monitoring, and potential in-situ treatment — represent costs that historical carriers on the risk during the 1979–1986 window may be obligated both to reimburse 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.