This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1920. 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.

Gasoline storage and dispensing operations at this property date to 1920 — more than six decades before occurrence-based CGL policies began excluding pollution claims in 1986. The contamination requiring remediation here originated from those decades of fuel handling under policies that had no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Documented cleanup expenditures spanning UST removals, soil excavation, thermal treatment, and groundwater containment represent costs that historical carriers who covered this property during its pre-1986 operational window may still be obligated to reimburse and to fund for any remaining remediation.

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.