This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop predating 1986. 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 automotive waste releases at this property — waste oils, fuels, and heavy metals including lead — originated from operations with a documented history stretching well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The contamination here is the product of years of accumulated releases, not a single recent event, placing its origin squarely within the coverage window of those historical policies. As the property now faces the full cost of investigation and remediation, historical carriers whose CGL policies were in effect during the decades of automotive operations may be obligated to fund that cleanup.

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.