What is a buddy statement for a VA claim and who can write one

What VA means by lay evidence

VA.gov defines lay evidence as written testimony by you or someone who knows about your condition or related events. It adds that anyone can provide lay evidence, that the person does not need any specific training or education, and that VA will review it along with any other evidence you submit. VA.gov uses buddy statement as another name for the Lay/Witness Statement, VA Form 21-10210.

VA's regulations draw the same line. Under 38 CFR 3.159, competent lay evidence is evidence that does not require specialized education, training or experience, and it is competent when it comes from a person who has knowledge of facts or circumstances and conveys matters that a lay person can observe and describe. Competent medical evidence is defined separately, as evidence from a person qualified through education, training or experience to offer medical diagnoses, statements or opinions.

Statements are read alongside everything else. VA.gov's page on claim exams lists statements from you and others about your claim among the things VA reviews before it decides, along with medical records, the exam report and military records.

Who can write one

VA.gov's page on filing a disability claim says supporting statements could come from family members, friends, clergy members, law enforcement personnel or people you served with. VA Form 21-10210 asks the witness to describe their relationship to the veteran with four boxes: served with, family or friend, coworker or supervisor, and other.

The writer does not have to have served. A spouse who sees the veteran wake up several times a night, a supervisor who covered missed shifts, or a neighbor who noticed the veteran stopped doing yard work can each speak to what they saw. The form can also be used for the claim of another Veteran or eligible family member, not only your own.

The veteran can use the same form. The 21-10210 instructions describe it as a statement from a veteran or claimant, or from someone writing on their behalf.

What a buddy statement covers

Item 17 on VA Form 21-10210 gives the writer one instruction: describe what you yourself know or have observed about the facts or circumstances relevant to the claim. A note above it asks the writer to indicate the claimed issue they are addressing. Those two lines are the core of the form.

VA.gov says supporting statements could tell VA more about the claimed condition and how and when it happened or how it got worse. In practice that means things a witness could see or hear: an injury in training they were present for, changes in sleep or mood they noticed at home, tasks the veteran stopped doing, days the veteran missed or left work. The closer each sentence stays to something the writer saw, with when and where it happened, the closer it is to what item 17 asks for.

A statement does not need special vocabulary. The definition in 38 CFR 3.159 is about matters a lay person can observe and describe, and plain words do that.

How the witness fills in VA Form 21-10210

1. Section I identifies the veteran: name, Social Security number, VA file number if there is one, date of birth and contact details. Section II is completed only when the claimant is someone other than the veteran.
2. Section III holds the statement, with a continuation page if it runs long. The writer names the claimed issue and describes what they know or observed.
3. Section IV records the witness's own name, phone, email and relationship to the veteran. The form says to complete Sections IV and V whenever the statement comes from someone writing on the veteran's behalf.
4. Section V is the certification: I certify that I have completed this statement and that its information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. The witness signs, which the form marks as required, and dates it.

The form carries a penalty statement warning of fines or imprisonment for knowingly submitting false statements or evidence. The completed form can be mailed to the Evidence Intake Center in Janesville, Wisconsin, at the address printed on the form, or sent with the online tool linked from the form's VA.gov page.

Common buddy statement mistakes

Offering a diagnosis. A friend or spouse can describe limping, nightmares or missed work. Naming a medical condition or its cause is a medical opinion, which 38 CFR 3.159 treats as a different kind of evidence that comes from someone qualified to give it.

Retelling the veteran's account instead of their own. Item 17 asks for what the writer knows or has observed. The veteran's own description belongs in the veteran's statement.

Two witnesses on one form. The form asks for a separate copy for each statement.

No signature or no claimed issue. The signature is required, and the statement section asks the writer to name the issue the statement addresses.

Waiting until the last week. A witness asked to remember a year of small moments in one evening will remember less than one who has a dated record in front of them. If the veteran keeps a symptom log in ClaimLog, the PDF it makes includes a blank VA Form 21-10210 and a one-page note for the person writing; the witness fills in the paper form in their own words and signs it.

This guide is general information, not legal or medical advice. For help with a claim, VA's Office of General Counsel accredits Veterans Service Organization representatives, attorneys and claims agents, and VA.gov says accredited VSO representatives do not charge for the services they provide on your claim.

Frequently asked questions