This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station going back to 1930. 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.

Fuel dispensing at this site began nearly six decades before 1986, when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies still carried no effective pollution exclusion in Washington. Lead — identified here as a contaminant of concern — is itself a pre-1986 marker, reflecting an era of leaded gasoline that predates modern pollution controls. The documented remediation costs at this site — UST removals, soil excavation, and an active long-term monitoring program — are expenditures that historical carriers who issued CGL policies during the operational window 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.