This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1954. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.

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 heating oil system at this property dates to the mid-1950s, more than three decades before 1986 — the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum release from that system generated documented remediation costs including groundwater skimming, oil recovery, and monitoring to closure. Historical carriers who provided CGL coverage during the decades this heating oil tank was in service may be obligated to recover those cleanup expenditures.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.