# Buddy and Lay Statement Guide

Helps a fellow service member, family member, or friend write their own factual statement describing what they personally witnessed or observed. Use it when someone who supports your claim needs help putting their own observations on paper in a clear, factual structure.

## Prompt

## Context
You are helping [WRITER NAME] draft a buddy statement (also called a lay statement) to support a VA disability claim for [VETERAN NAME]. The writer is not the veteran. The writer is [WRITER RELATIONSHIP, e.g. fellow soldier, spouse, parent, or friend]. This statement contains only the writer's own first-hand observations. It is not a medical opinion. It does not represent the veteran legally.

What the writer personally witnessed or observed, in their own words: [WRITER'S OWN ACCOUNT, describe what you saw, heard, or observed directly. Include when and where you observed it, your relationship to the veteran, and any relevant details about the situation.]
Condition or situation the statement addresses: [CONDITION OR SITUATION]
Approximate time period the observations cover: [TIME PERIOD]

## Task
Draft a buddy or lay statement organized into four sections:
1. Introduction: who the writer is, their relationship to the veteran, and what condition or situation this statement addresses.
2. What the writer personally observed: the specific events, behaviors, or changes the writer witnessed, as the writer described them. Include when and where observations were made.
3. Impact the writer observed: how the veteran's condition appeared to affect the veteran's daily life, work, or relationships, based only on what the writer directly saw.
4. Closing: a plain statement that this account is based on the writer's own personal observations and is true to the best of their knowledge.

## Standards
- Write only what [WRITER NAME] described in [WRITER'S OWN ACCOUNT]. Do not add observations, incidents, or details the writer did not provide.
- Do not invent events, symptoms, diagnoses, or dates.
- Do not state or imply a medical diagnosis or medical nexus opinion. The writer describes what they saw, not what caused it.
- Do not exaggerate what the writer observed. Write only what they said they saw.
- Do not predict a rating or guarantee an outcome.
- The writer represents only their own observations. They do not represent the veteran legally.
- VA claim preparation and representation are regulated under 38 CFR. Accredited VSO help for initial claims is free. No one who is not accredited may charge a fee for claim preparation.
- This is not legal advice and not medical advice.
- If [WRITER'S OWN ACCOUNT] is missing or too vague to draft a meaningful statement, ask for more detail before drafting.

## Variables

- WRITER NAME
- VETERAN NAME
- WRITER RELATIONSHIP
- WRITER'S OWN ACCOUNT
- CONDITION OR SITUATION
- TIME PERIOD

## Input checklist

- [ ] The person writing this statement should describe only what they personally saw, heard, or observed. Second-hand accounts and things the veteran told them are less useful than direct observations.
- [ ] Be specific about when and where you made the observations. Dates, locations, and context make statements more useful.
- [ ] Keep your Social Security number and the veteran's VA file number out of the prompt. Share only facts you are comfortable putting into an AI tool.
- [ ] Review the draft against your own memory. Correct anything that does not accurately reflect what you actually observed.
- [ ] The veteran's accredited VSO can advise on whether this statement covers what is most useful for the claim. Plan to share the draft with the VSO before it is submitted.
- [ ] Confirm the facts in this statement against your own recollection, not the veteran's account. These should be your own observations.

## Verification checklist

- [ ] Read every sentence: does it describe what the writer actually observed, or did the AI add an observation, symptom, or detail the writer did not provide?
- [ ] Confirm no medical diagnosis or medical nexus language appears. The statement should describe what the writer saw, not what caused the veteran's condition.
- [ ] Check that the statement does not include second-hand information the writer heard rather than observed directly. First-hand observations are what matter.
- [ ] Verify dates and locations are accurate to the writer's recollection. Do not leave in any date or location the AI invented.
- [ ] Confirm no rating prediction, outcome guarantee, or compensation-maximizing language appears anywhere in the draft.
- [ ] Have the writer review and sign off on the statement as accurately reflecting their own observations before it goes to the VSO.
- [ ] Do not submit this statement without coordinating with the veteran's accredited VSO.

## Sample output

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

Writer: Thomas Garza. Relationship: served with Marcus Hale in the same truck company, Army, 2012 to 2016. Account: Marcus and I drove convoys together out of Fort Bliss and during a deployment to Kuwait in 2014 and 2015. We spent long hours in the cab of heavy trucks. The noise was constant. I remember we would take our hearing protection off during long legs to hear radio traffic better. We all did it. After we both got out I stayed in touch with Marcus. He complained about ringing in his ears starting pretty soon after he got out. When I call him he asks me to repeat myself more than he used to. At his house the TV is noticeably loud. Condition: tinnitus. Time period: 2012 to present.

Buddy Statement of Thomas Garza
In Support of VA Disability Claim for Marcus Hale: Tinnitus

1. Introduction
My name is Thomas Garza. I served in the United States Army from 2012 to 2016 and was assigned to the same motor transport company as Marcus Hale at Fort Bliss and during a deployment to Kuwait from 2014 to 2015. I am writing this statement to describe what I personally observed during our service together and after Marcus separated.

2. What I Personally Observed
Marcus and I drove heavy trucks together on many convoys during our time at Fort Bliss and in Kuwait. The noise level in and around those vehicles was high and continuous: engine noise, exhaust, and when we were at the range, weapons fire. During long convoy legs, I observed that members of our unit, including Marcus and myself, would remove hearing protection to better hear radio communications and the road environment. This was a common practice in our unit.

3. Impact I Observed
Since Marcus separated, I have stayed in regular contact with him. Starting not long after he got out, he told me he had ringing in his ears. When I speak to him by phone, he asks me to repeat myself more than he did when we served together. When I have visited him at his home, I have noticed the television is kept at a volume noticeably higher than I would set it. These are my own direct observations.

4. Closing
This statement is based on my own personal observations of Marcus Hale during our service together and afterward. Everything I have written is true to the best of my knowledge and recollection.

Thomas Garza
Date: [Writer fills in]
Contact: [Writer fills in if comfortable providing]

## Customization notes

This prompt works for any writer: a fellow service member, a spouse, a parent, or a close friend. The key is that the statement covers only what the writer personally observed, not what the veteran told them. For spouses or family members observing the home and daily life impact of a condition, the observations about sleep, mood, mobility, and activity are often very relevant. For former unit members who can speak to in-service conditions or events, specific details about location, time period, and shared experience are most useful. Confirm with the veteran's accredited VSO what types of observations are most helpful for the specific claim.

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From The VA & Benefits Navigator Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/va