diff --git a/app/Services/ImportProcessor.php b/app/Services/ImportProcessor.php
index c4d8eaf..82508de 100644
--- a/app/Services/ImportProcessor.php
+++ b/app/Services/ImportProcessor.php
@@ -890,21 +890,25 @@ public function process(Import $import, ?Authenticatable $user = null): array
                     }
                     $failedRows[] = $rowNum;
                     $invalid++;
-                    ImportEvent::create([
-                        'import_id' => $import->id,
-                        'user_id' => $user?->getAuthIdentifier(),
-                        'import_row_id' => $importRow?->id,
-                        'event' => 'row_exception',
-                        'level' => 'error',
-                        'message' => $this->safeErrorMessage($e->getMessage()),
-                        'context' => [
-                            'classification' => $this->classifyRowException($e),
-                            'driver' => DB::connection()->getDriverName(),
-                            'row_number' => $rowNum,
-                            'raw_sha1' => isset($rawAssoc) ? sha1(json_encode($rawAssoc)) : null,
-                            'raw_data_preview' => isset($rawAssoc) ? $this->buildRawDataPreview($rawAssoc) : [],
-                        ],
-                    ]);
+                    try {
+                        ImportEvent::create([
+                            'import_id' => $import->id,
+                            'user_id' => $user?->getAuthIdentifier(),
+                            'import_row_id' => $importRow?->id, // may be null if creation failed
+                            'event' => 'row_exception',
+                            'level' => 'error',
+                            'message' => $this->safeErrorMessage($e->getMessage()),
+                            'context' => [
+                                'classification' => $this->classifyRowException($e),
+                                'driver' => DB::connection()->getDriverName(),
+                                'row_number' => $rowNum,
+                                'raw_sha1' => isset($rawAssoc) ? sha1(json_encode($rawAssoc)) : null,
+                                'raw_data_preview' => isset($rawAssoc) ? $this->buildRawDataPreview($rawAssoc) : [],
+                            ],
+                        ]);
+                    } catch (\Throwable $evtErr) {
+                        // Swallow secondary failure to ensure loop continues
+                    }
 
                     // Skip to next row without aborting whole import
                     continue;
@@ -1435,10 +1439,20 @@ private function upsertContractChain(Import $import, array $mapped, $mappings):
             }
             $data = array_filter($applyInsert, fn ($v) => ! is_null($v));
             if (array_key_exists('start_date', $data)) {
-                $data['start_date'] = $this->normalizeDate(is_scalar($data['start_date']) ? (string) $data['start_date'] : null) ?? $data['start_date'];
+                $norm = $this->normalizeDate(is_scalar($data['start_date']) ? (string) $data['start_date'] : null);
+                if ($norm === null || $norm === '') {
+                    unset($data['start_date']); // let default fill below
+                } else {
+                    $data['start_date'] = $norm;
+                }
             }
             if (array_key_exists('end_date', $data)) {
-                $data['end_date'] = $this->normalizeDate(is_scalar($data['end_date']) ? (string) $data['end_date'] : null) ?? $data['end_date'];
+                $normEnd = $this->normalizeDate(is_scalar($data['end_date']) ? (string) $data['end_date'] : null);
+                if ($normEnd === null || $normEnd === '') {
+                    unset($data['end_date']); // treat blank as null (omit)
+                } else {
+                    $data['end_date'] = $normEnd;
+                }
             }
             $data['client_case_id'] = $clientCaseId;
             $data['reference'] = $reference;