Press Kit - Press Release
Contacts: Susan Holden Walsh, HoldenMcClurePR, 303-449-2526
Stephanie Kelso, Z-Axis President, 303-713-0200, stephanie.kelso@zaxis.com
Alan Treibitz, Z-Axis CEO and founder, 303-713-0200, alan.treibitz@zaxis.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Electronic visuals available upon request
LITIGATION PRESENTATION EXPERT Z-AXIS ON WINNING TEAM: PROVIDED FORENSICS, ANIMATION AND TRIAL VISUALS IN PRECEDENT-SETTING WORLD TRADE CENTER INSURANCE TRIAL
DENVER, COLO, DECEMBER 7, 2004…Z-Axis, the nationally acclaimed litigation presentation firm, is proud to share the news that it played a key role on the winning expert team for one of the most high-profile cases in recent history: the World Trade Center insurance case - Silverstein Properties v. Swiss Reinsurance et al. The verdict came in, December 6th, 2004, in favor of Z-Axis’ client, Silverstein Properties. Incorporating its graphic presentation expertise and engineering experience, Z-Axis provided forensics, photogrammetry, custom programming, and trial exhibits, including complex 3-D animation, to help the attorneys from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz win their case.
The case: This was the second of two cases that would decide the amount of property insurance coverage carried by Silverstein Properties, the lease-holder of the WTC on September 11, 2001. The issue at hand was whether or not the attacks were one or two occurrences, which would impact the amount for which Mr. Silverstein was covered. The total amount underwritten by more than 20 companies was $3.5 billion. In the first trial, it was determined that the companies that had underwritten $2.4 billion of the insurance were liable for only one occurrence based on their form of the policy. This second trial was to decide whether the attacks constituted two separate occurrences for the nine remaining insurance companies. The verdict determined that it was indeed two occurrences for insurance claims purposes, increasing the total amount of coverage provided by these nine companies from $1.1 billion to $2.2 billion. This brings the total amount carried by Mr. Silverstein to approximately $4.6 billion. A third trial will determine the value of the World Trade Center buildings before payment is made and rebuilding can begin.
The expert trial team: The team of experts was compiled to analyze what was essentially one of the biggest crime scenes in history. In order to understand the insurance issues, the team needed to determine why the towers fell based on structural analysis and forensics. In 2002, Z-Axis began working with Weidlinger Associates, Inc., the engineering consultants on the case, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the attorneys for Silverstein Properties, as well as fire experts and others. The task was daunting due to its sheer size and the technical difficulties. However, Z-Axis was hired because of its twenty-year track record, ability to manage large-scale projects, and its technical expertise in visual forensics and case analysis for litigation presentations. Z-Axis has applied its forensic and presentation experience in such high-stakes, highly-visible trials such as the Oklahoma City Bombing trials, the PEPCON explosion near Las Vegas, aviation disasters as in the crash of Delta 191, and its engineering modeling of the collapse of the Royal Palm Resort due to an earthquake in Guam. Z-Axis also acted as a clearinghouse for all trial team exhibits, from photos and video, to data and animations.
The assignment: Z-Axis’ assignment was to visually depict the engineering aspects of the case by reenacting the events of the day. Z-Axis assembled the hardware, software and management solutions that were able to transform the massive amounts of raw geometric data from Weidlinger’s FLEX and SAP2000 programs into effective visual representations of how the towers reacted to the impact of each aircraft and subsequent fire.
The visual evidence produced: Z-Axis created high-tech exhibits based on hard facts and science, to demonstrate how each of the towers was built, how strong they were and how they would react to an aircraft impact as well as fire. The computer-generated models included details of all of the elements of construction, including towers’ cores, exterior tubes, floors, hat truss systems and fireproofing. The computer-rendered exhibits transformed the experts’ raw data into illustrations of the strength of every column and beam in the towers, both before and after the airplane impacts and subsequent fires. Simultaneously, Z-Axis analyzed videos of the events and applied photogrammetry methods to determine how fast each plane was going, as well as the point and angle of impact, to provide input data for Weidlinger’s FLEX program, a powerful structural engineering software package used to calculate the effects of impacts on buildings.
Then, using FLEX output data from Weidlinger, Z-Axis created scientifically accurate 3-dimensional animations of the impacts and collapses of each tower. The impact models depicted over 800,000 elements in every frame, while the collapse sequences contained over 5 million elements per frame. The modeling and animations were so accurate that when overlaid on actual videos taken on 9/11, the motion is virtually identical.
The results: Z-Axis exhibits and animations were used to illustrate the events of 9/11 with a winning outcome for the expert team and its client at trial. In addition, the Z–Axis animations have been used outside of the courtroom in various documentaries on PBS and the Discovery Channel regarding 9/11 and the World Trade Center. The Z-Axis exhibits have also been shared with National Institute of Standards (NIST) and other industry groups to help them understand the events of 9/11 and plan future construction. For its World Trade Center Structural Engineering Investigation, which included Z-Axis’ work, Weidlinger Associates International won the “Grand Conceptor” award for engineering excellence from the American Council of Engineering Companies.
About Z-Axis:
Z-Axis integrates research, strategic planning, graphic production, and technology to create convincing, winning litigation presentations. For twenty years, Z-Axis has proven itself to be an industry pioneer and leader in courtroom technology, as well as an innovator in courtroom animation. Combining a veteran's eye for strategy with the latest technological advancements, the Z-Axis team of professionals has a reputation for creating visual communications tools that are second to none, as evidenced in the development of its patented VuPoint™ system.
Z-Axis services and supports its national and international clients from its Denver, Chicago, New York, Washington, DC, Texas and California offices. For information on the litigation presentation services provided by Z-Axis on this case and others, visit the website at www.zaxis.com or 303-713-0200.
Call us at 303.713.0200 or email us to get started with an informative case review.