This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. 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.

Based on standard underground storage tank lifecycle analysis, the USTs at this property were likely installed before 1984 — within the window when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard and carried no effective pollution exclusion. The petroleum and lead contamination detected in groundwater traces to those tank operations, and the remediation costs incurred through the Voluntary Cleanup Program represent expenditures that historical CGL carriers from that pre-1986 period may still be obligated to cover.

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.