This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1961. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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.

Automotive operations at this property began in 1961, spanning more than two decades of parts cleaning and machining with petroleum-based solvents before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims in Washington. The soil and groundwater contamination here is the kind of gradual industrial solvent release that pre-1986 CGL policies — issued without effective pollution exclusions — were written to address. Excavation and groundwater treatment costs the property now faces could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in effect during those early decades of operation.

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.