This property has a documented history as a dry cleaning facility going back to 1982. 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.

Cleaner One's dry cleaning operations began in 1982 — four years before the 1986 shift away from occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies that carried no effective pollution exclusion. Two decades of solvent-based dry cleaning at this Bellevue property produced the halogenated-solvent contamination now requiring remediation in groundwater and air. Historical CGL carriers who covered the facility during its 1982–1986 operational window may be obligated to recover cleanup costs already incurred and to fund the remediation work still ahead.

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.