This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1964. 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.

Leaded gasoline was stored and dispensed at this property through a network of underground tanks for at least two decades before 1986, the period when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies provided pollution coverage without an effective exclusion clause. The contamination confirmed by recent subsurface investigations traces directly to those pre-1986 fueling operations, not to any subsequent event. Historical carriers whose CGL policies were in force during that operational window may carry an obligation to fund the investigation and cleanup costs the property owner now faces.

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.