This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership going back to 1983. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property and through 1986 could fund a cleanup — and recover costs already spent.

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.

Petroleum contamination at this dealership originated from underground storage tanks and drum storage operations that predate 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The documented remediation costs — UST removal, large-scale soil excavation and disposal, and over a decade of quarterly groundwater monitoring — were incurred to address releases tied directly to those pre-1986 operations. With cleanup still underway, historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the early-to-mid-1980s operational window may be obligated both to recover past expenditures and to fund ongoing remediation.

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.