BACKGROUND

An incident refers to human or animal activities and to a period of time while these activities take place. Incidents include, for example, formation of agreements, transactions, negotiations, discussions, ceremonies, meetings, medical procedures, sporting events, crimes, attempted crimes, disagreements, assaults, conflicts, discoveries, research, investigations, and surveillance. Incidents may include consequences including changes to property such as improvements, repairs, construction, production, manufacture, growth, harvesting, damage, loss, theft, burglary, arson, goods damaged in shipment, conditions of real estate, and/or conditions of agricultural and forestry property. An incident may include damage to property and/or injury to persons or animals. Damage to property or injury to persons or animals may be accidental or brought on by the action or failure to act of one or more persons. Incidents include information valuable for risk management, insurance, claims, achievements, sports records, news reporting, and entertainment.

Information (e.g., data, audio, visual, location, environmental) gathered about an incident may describe the incident. Information may include facts about the activities of the incident, consequences of the incident, time of the incident, location of the incident, and identity of humans, animals, or objects related to the incident. Information about an incident may form a report of an incident (also called an incident report). Information about the incident may be gathered before, during, or after an incident.

Information about an incident may aid others to determine the identity of the human or animal that performed the activities of the incident, whether activities were properly performed, property affected, human or animal injured; identity of witnesses, identity of a victims; responding law enforcement and medical personnel; and anyone contributing to the achievement or loss; extent of the loss or the injury; any change in property; change in the value of property; and a change in an object, person, plant, or animal.

Information about an incident may be used to establish responsibility for the consequences of an incident. For example, whether or not the facts of the incident require payment under an insurance policy may be determined on the basis of a information about the incident. When a weapon is used in an incident, responsibility for a loss or injury may in part be based on whether the weapon is used within the guidelines of a law enforcement agency, guidelines set forth by a manufacturer of the weapon, or policies and reasonable behavior or negligence as determined by local customs, courts, and educational/training institutions.

A report of an incident in many cases may be used as evidence of facts regarding the incident. Evidence may be needed for proof of performance under an agreement, resolution of a failure to perform under an agreement, credit for an achievement, proof of damage, injury, crime, or loss, or for enforcement of customs, rules, regulations, laws, judicial orders, or directives from superiors such as employers, partners, custodians, guardians, relatives, officials, or higher ranking officers.

Validation of the information of an incident report includes verifying the accuracy and completeness of the information of an incident. Validation of an incident may establish a foundation (e.g., legal foundation) and provide corroboration for the facts of an incident. Validation may provide foundation and corroboration sufficient for an incident report and the information therein to be used as evidence in a court.

Accurate and complete reporting of the facts surrounding an incident has great social, economic, and judicial importance. Incident reporting as practiced in the prior art has limitations that adversely affect accuracy and completeness. Increased accuracy and greater completeness of incident reports are needed and are provided by systems and methods according to the present invention.

