This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1928. Historical insurance policies issued during operations at this property 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.

The gasoline releases documented at this property trace to underground storage tanks that were installed and in operation decades before 1986, when occurrence-based CGL policies were still the industry standard and lacked effective pollution exclusions. Pre-1986 carriers who issued policies to the service station operators during the 1961–1985 window may retain obligations that have never been extinguished. The investigation costs, remediation design, and cleanup expenditures this property owner now faces could plausibly be funded by those historical carriers whose policies were in force when contamination first occurred.

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.