This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership going back to 1970. 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.

The heavy oil contamination at this property traces to hydraulic lifts and potential underground storage tanks associated with dealership service operations that began in the 1970s — more than a decade before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion. The cleanup costs this property now faces — further investigation, characterization, and soil remediation — represent expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were in effect during the 1970s and early 1980s 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.