This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership going back to 1984. 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 contamination at this property traces directly to USTs installed in 1985 — a single year before the industry-wide shift away from occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies that lacked effective pollution exclusions. Carriers who issued CGL coverage to Barrier Motors during that pre-1986 operational window may bear obligations extending to the documented costs of tank removal, free-product recovery, and impacted-water disposal already incurred. Because the site's cleanup is incomplete, future investigation and remediation expenditures remain ahead — costs that historical carriers may also be obligated to fund.

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.