This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1941. 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.

Fuel dispensing operations at this property began decades before 1986, and the presence of lead at high concentrations in gasoline-contaminated soil confirms that contamination originated during the era of leaded fuel — squarely within the coverage window of occurrence-based CGL policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. The remediation costs already incurred for tank removal and groundwater treatment, together with the substantial proposed cleanup expenditures still ahead, represent obligations that historical carriers who insured the filling station and service station operations may be required both to reimburse and to fund going forward.

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.