This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1926. 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.

Auto repair and fueling operations at this property began nearly six decades before 1986, the year occurrence-based CGL policies began incorporating effective pollution exclusions in Washington. The contamination profile here — gasoline-range petroleum hydrocarbons and lead — is directly attributable to those long-running pre-1986 activities, including an era when leaded gasoline was standard and tank installations date as far back as 1929. The substantial remediation costs still ahead, measured in thousands of cubic yards of soil excavation, groundwater treatment, and engineered containment, represent liabilities that historical CGL carriers active during that extended operational window 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.