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.

The petroleum and gasoline contamination at this site originated from underground storage tank operations at a branded gas station predating 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry standard. Groundwater contamination involving benzene, lead, and petroleum hydrocarbons — the kind of gradual release those policies were written to cover — required remediation through the Voluntary Cleanup Program and generated documented cleanup expenditures. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the station's pre-1986 operational period may still be obligated to recover those costs.

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.