This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1984. 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.

PCE-based dry cleaning operations began at this property in 1984, placing the contamination origin directly within the window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and pollution exclusions were not yet enforceable in Washington. The sub-slab detections across multiple locations reflect the type of gradual, ongoing solvent release those pre-1986 policies were written to address. With remediation still ahead, the site owner faces the full cost of cleanup design and implementation — expenditures that historical carriers whose policies were in force during VIP Dry Cleaners' early years of operation may 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.