This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1962. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this property originated from underground storage tanks installed and operated beginning in 1962 — more than two decades before occurrence-based CGL policies gave way to claims-made forms with pollution exclusions. The documented remediation expenditures to date — tank removals, soil excavation, spill cleanup, and over twenty years of monitoring — along with the cost of addressing contaminated soil still in place, represent the kind of long-tail environmental liability that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover 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.