Back to blog
Liability

The Hidden Cost of Incomplete Incident Reports

David Chen/Risk & Compliance Lead
|February 10, 2026|7 min read

Every security company eventually ends up in a deposition. The question isn't if — it's when. And when that day comes, the single most important thing your attorney will ask for is documentation.

The 67% Problem

Industry research consistently shows that roughly two-thirds of handwritten security incident reports contain at least one critical gap: a missing timestamp, an incomplete witness description, a vague location reference, or a narrative that contradicts the timeline.

These aren't lazy guards. These are humans filling out paper forms at 2 AM after a stressful event, often with poor lighting and adrenaline still pumping. The system is the problem, not the people.

What "Gaps" Actually Cost

A missing timestamp might seem like a minor oversight. In court, it becomes:

  • Reasonable doubt about whether your guard was actually on-site
  • Impeachment material if opposing counsel can show the report was written hours or days later
  • A pattern — because if one report has gaps, they'll subpoena all of them

The average premises liability settlement in the security industry is $75,000. Cases that go to trial average $250,000+. And the number one factor that determines outcome? Documentation quality.

The GPS-Verified Difference

When every check-in is GPS-stamped, every report has an automatic timestamp, and every narrative is checked against your post orders by AI — the gaps disappear. Not because your guards became better writers, but because the system fills in what humans naturally miss.

What To Do Now

01Audit your last 30 incident reports. Count the ones with missing times, vague locations, or incomplete descriptions.
02Calculate your exposure. Multiply that percentage by your average incident volume. That's how many potential court cases have weak documentation.
03Fix the system, not the people. Training helps, but technology that captures data automatically is the only reliable solution.

The companies that win in court aren't the ones with the best lawyers. They're the ones with the best records.

See Evidence Pack
in action

GPS-verified documentation, AI compliance checking, and court-ready evidence packs.