This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1920. 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.

Contamination at this property — petroleum hydrocarbons and lead — is directly tied to fuel dispensing and auto repair operations that began more than six decades before 1986, with underground storage tanks in place by at least 1950. Occurrence-based CGL policies covering those pre-1986 operational years carried no effective pollution exclusion and remain enforceable under Washington law. The documented remediation costs — UST removal, disposal of over 3,375 tons of impacted soil, groundwater dewatering — together with the forthcoming vapor mitigation and structural protective measures represent ongoing expenditures that historical carriers may be obligated both to recover and 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.