This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1985. 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.

Rental car fueling and auto repair operations at this property began at least a full year before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The petroleum hydrocarbon and benzene contamination documented in soil and groundwater here is the product of those pre-1986 operations — slow releases from underground storage tanks and maintenance activities conducted under policies that were written to cover exactly this kind of loss. Documented and projected remediation expenditures — tank removals, soil excavation, groundwater treatment, long-term monitoring — represent costs that historical carriers may be obligated both to reimburse and to fund as cleanup continues.

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.