This property has a documented history as a industrial and manufacturing facility going back to 1985. 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.

Auto salvage operations at this property began in 1985, within the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The contamination now documented across groundwater and surface water — petroleum hydrocarbons, lead, PAHs, benzene — is consistent with decades of vehicle dismantling and fluid handling at the facility. The investigation, remediation, and surface-water restoration costs the property now faces could plausibly be funded by historical carriers whose CGL policies were in effect during those pre-1986 operations.

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.