This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1942. 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.

Leaded gasoline storage and dispensing at this property began circa 1942 — more than four decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies routinely covered pollution events without an effective exclusion. The confirmed petroleum contamination in groundwater is directly tied to those decades of underground tank operations predating the 1986 cutoff. Historical carriers who issued CGL policies during that extended operational window may be obligated to reimburse cleanup expenditures already incurred and to fund the remediation work still ahead.

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.