This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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 gasoline and motor oil contamination at this property originated from underground storage tanks operated well before 1986 — lead detected alongside gasoline in soil samples points to the leaded-fuel era, and the tanks' lifecycle is consistent with installation in the late 1960s or earlier. Occurrence-based CGL policies in force during that pre-1986 operating window carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The remediation costs already incurred and the cleanup work still ahead represent expenditures that the historical carriers who covered those operations 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.