This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership going back to 1948. 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.

The contamination here — petroleum hydrocarbons from underground storage tanks, hydraulic lifts, and maintenance operations — traces to activities that began in 1948 and continued through the mid-1980s, decades before 1986 when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The fueling station and UST operations that drove the contamination fall squarely within the coverage window of pre-1986 CGL policies issued to the operators over that period. The documented remediation costs — soil excavation, multi-year groundwater monitoring, and permanent institutional controls — represent expenditures the historical carriers may be obligated both to recover 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.