This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1940. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This property, which includes a building dating to 1926, housed Morrison's Motor Service auto-repair business on its northeast portion from approximately 1940 to 1955 — a use identified as a potential source of hazardous substances and petroleum products in the underlying soil and groundwater. No active cleanup has been conducted at the site; assessment work is underway under the Voluntary Cleanup Program, with recommendations for future soil and groundwater sampling, removal of PCB-containing equipment and mercury-containing light tubes, asbestos abatement, and proper disposal of lead paint during any future demolition or renovation. 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.
Auto-repair operations at this property ran from 1940 through 1955, placing them squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies contained no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The investigation and remediation that lie ahead — soil and groundwater sampling, PCB equipment removal, mercury and asbestos abatement, lead paint disposal — represent costs tied directly to releases from those decades-old operations. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies to Morrison's Motor Service during that operational window may be obligated to fund the coming 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.
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
Ready to learn more?
Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
