This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1916. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.
From approximately 1916 to 1973, this property at 10 Broad St was operated as a welding and automobile service facility, with underground storage tanks present throughout that period and removed in the mid-1970s. A commercial building was constructed on the site in 1976, following the end of automotive service operations. Soil and groundwater beneath the property contain petroleum hydrocarbon contamination — including weathered gasoline — directly attributed to the historical welding and automotive service activities. Cleanup of the site is underway under Washington State Ecology's Standard Cleanup program. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
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 petroleum contamination here originated from more than five decades of welding and automobile service operations that ended in 1973 — well over a decade before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies stopped reliably covering pollution claims. Underground storage tanks in place from 1916 through the mid-1970s are the documented source of the weathered gasoline and petroleum hydrocarbons now requiring remediation. Historical CGL carriers who issued policies to operators of this facility during that long operational window had no effective pollution exclusion and remain potentially obligated to fund the cleanup costs now being incurred.
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.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
