What can lay persons attest to?Įven individuals without medical training are permitted to attest to witnessing observable symptoms of a condition. This includes the veteran him or herself, fellow service members, family, coworkers, employers, pastors, and friends. Generally, anyone with personal knowledge of events or occurrences in question can provide a lay statement attesting to that personal knowledge.

To establish the occurrence of in-service event, injury, or illness during service that caused the veteran’s present disability, and To establish chronicity of a condition where medical evidence during service or for a period of time after service is absent or lacking To describe how your injuries affect your daily life, such as in TDIU claims

To inform the VA about what symptoms you experience that makes your service-connected condition qualify for a higher VA disability rating

In many instances, lay statements can make the difference in a veteran’s claim(s) by providing information missing from medical records, clarifying a perceived inconsistency, disputing the adequacy of a C&P examination, or filling in gaps in the record.įor instance, veterans may want to use lay statements for one or more of the following reasons: Lay statements, also referred to as buddy statements or statements in support of claim, are written attestations from the veteran or other individuals on behalf of the veteran that aim to help prove a veteran’s claim for VA disability benefits.

Va lay witness statement