This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1946. 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.

Petroleum contamination at this site originated from underground storage tanks that were in service for decades before 1986 — with documented operations reaching back prior to 1946. Occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies issued to the operators during that pre-1986 window carried no effective pollution exclusion under Washington law and remain enforceable today. The remediation costs already incurred and the decades of monitoring still ahead represent expenditures that historical carriers who covered this property during its long operational history may 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.