This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1923. 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.

Gasoline service station operations at this Seattle property began around 1923 and continued for over four decades, placing the facility's entire operational life squarely within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination now being remediated — petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents in groundwater — traces to underground storage tanks that were installed, operated, and in some cases closed in place during that pre-1986 window. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies covering this property's decades of fueling operations may be obligated to recover costs already incurred and to fund the cleanup work that remains.

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.