This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership predating 1986. 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.

The petroleum and waste-oil contamination at this property originated from auto-dealership operations that were active before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. More than two decades of documented investigation and remediation costs — tank removals, soil excavation, groundwater recovery, and long-term monitoring — were incurred to address releases tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the dealership's operating years 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.