This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1947. 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.

Gasoline operations at this property date to 1947, nearly four decades before occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies gave way to claims-made forms with absolute pollution exclusions. The groundwater contamination documented here — benzene, diesel, gasoline, and other petroleum constituents — originated from underground storage tanks that were installed and operated well within the pre-1986 CGL coverage window. The remediation costs being incurred under the Standard Cleanup Program, and those still ahead, represent expenditures that historical carriers who insured this station during those decades may be obligated both to recover and to fund going forward.

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.