This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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.

Lead contamination detected in soil and groundwater at this former fuel service station points to operations consistent with the era of leaded gasoline — well before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were still issued without effective pollution exclusions. The remediation costs this property now faces — addressing abandoned underground storage tanks and contaminated soil and groundwater — are the kind of long-tail environmental liabilities that historical CGL carriers may still 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.