This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership going back to 1964. 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 site traces directly to underground storage tanks installed in 1964 and operated for decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The remediation record here — three rounds of tank removal, contaminated soil excavation, and more than 35 years of assessment and cleanup work — represents substantial expenditures that historical carriers who covered the dealership during its pre-1986 operations 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.