This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1955. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations 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.

Auto shop operations at this property began at least three decades before 1986, and the co-detection of lead with petroleum hydrocarbons ties the contamination directly to the era of leaded gasoline — when occurrence-based CGL policies were routinely issued to auto service businesses like this one without effective pollution exclusions. The contamination found in soil and groundwater here reflects the kind of slow, ongoing release those policies were written to address. The investigation and remediation costs this property now faces could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose policies were in force when those leaded-gasoline-era UST operations first created the conditions for release.

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.