This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1948. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations 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.

The contamination at this property — petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and cPAHs — originated from equipment repair operations that began in the late 1940s and continued through the mid-1980s, squarely within the era of occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. With cleanup still underway and the initial remediation plan already rejected as insufficient, the property faces both past investigation costs and future remediation expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during those decades of operation 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.