Build a submission-ready buddy or lay statement for a VA disability claim — covering everything VA Form 21-10210 needs.
Step 1 of 425%
Step 1
About you (the person writing the statement)
Your identity and your relationship to the veteran. The VA needs to know who you are and why your observations carry weight.
Please enter your full name.
Please pick a relationship.
VA may follow up if they want clarification. Helpful but not required.
Step 2
How you know the veteran
Specifics make this statement credible. Vague references like "we served together" carry less weight than dates, units, and shared experiences.
Please enter the veteran's full name.
e.g. PTSD, tinnitus, sleep apnea, lower back pain. Just one condition per statement keeps it focused.
Please name the condition.
Time period + context. e.g. "We deployed together to Iraq from 2007 to 2008 in 1st Battalion, 5th Marines" or "I'm her spouse — we married in 2015 and lived together since."
Please describe how you know the veteran.
Step 3
What you observed
This is the heart of the statement. Concrete details — dates, locations, specific events — beat general impressions. Keep it factual and first-person.
What VA examiners want to see:
Specific events with approximate dates
Symptoms you personally observed (not just what the veteran told you)
How the condition has affected daily life
e.g. "On April 12, 2008, our convoy was hit by an IED outside Fallujah. James was in the lead vehicle. He was knocked unconscious for several minutes." Or for non-combat: "She first started waking up gasping for air in fall 2010 while we were stationed at Fort Bragg."
Please describe a specific event or onset.
When you first noticed the symptoms, and how they've persisted or progressed. e.g. "After that incident, James began having nightmares almost nightly, and I witnessed him flinch at loud noises throughout the rest of our deployment and after we returned home."
Please describe how the symptoms have continued.
Concrete, current examples. e.g. "He no longer attends family gatherings of more than 5 people. He sleeps in a separate room because his sleep apnea CPAP wakes me up. He missed 14 days of work this year alone due to migraines I personally witnessed."
Please describe the daily-life impact.
Your statement is ready
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This tool produces a draft statement based on your inputs. Review before signing. Lay statements are submitted under penalty of perjury — only sign what you've personally observed and believe to be true. This is general guidance, not legal advice. For complex or denied claims, work with an accredited VSO (VFW, DAV, AMVETS, American Legion).
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