This property has a documented history as a auto body / repair shop going back to 1977. 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 gasoline UST here was installed in 1977 and operated through at least the early 1990s — well within the window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. The presence of lead in the TPH-as-gasoline contamination is consistent with fuel dispensed before leaded gasoline was phased out, anchoring the contamination's origin to pre-1986 operations. Documented remediation expenditures — UST removal, soil excavation, fuel recovery, and nearly two decades of regulatory oversight — represent costs that historical carriers who issued CGL policies to this auto body shop during that operational window 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.