This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership going back to 1910. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.
This Spokane automotive dealership property has documented service operations dating back to at least 1910, with continuous activity on multiple parcels through the mid-twentieth century and to the present day. Five underground storage tanks — including leaded gasoline and waste oil tanks — were removed in 1988, and a sixth UST was removed in 2018; soil cuttings generated during recent field investigations have been collected in drums for off-site disposal. The site continues to operate as Larry H. Miller Downtown Toyota, an active automotive dealership and service center, while active cleanup has not yet commenced. 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.
Leaded gasoline and waste oil tanks were in operation at this property for decades before 1986, placing the contamination origin squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. Five tanks removed in 1988 — implying installation well before 1963 under standard UST lifecycle assumptions — were almost certainly covered by pre-1986 CGL policies issued to the dealership or its predecessors. With remediation yet to begin and investigation costs already accumulating, historical carriers from that pre-1986 window may bear a present obligation to fund the cleanup costs ahead.
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
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
