This property has a documented history as a automobile dealership 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 waste oil tank at this property is tied to a dealership that opened in 1948 — nearly four decades before the 1986 threshold after which occurrence-based CGL policies reliably incorporated effective pollution exclusions. The presence of lead as a designated Dangerous Waste in the tank's residual product confirms the tank was in service during the era of leaded gasoline, placing the contamination squarely within the pre-1986 window. The documented remediation costs here — soil excavation, dual UST removals, and sludge disposal — represent expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL policies to the dealership during that operational period may be obligated both to recover 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.