This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1945. 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.

The heating oil tank at this property was installed and operated for nearly four decades before 1986, the year occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies ceased reliably covering pollution claims. Petroleum-diesel contamination requiring excavation, groundwater removal, and continued remediation traces directly to that pre-1986 residential heating operation. Historical carriers whose CGL policies were in effect during the tank's decades of service 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.