Avoid These 8 Costly VA Lay Statement Mistakes in VA Claims

Lay statements (AKA buddy statements, personal statements) are powerful pieces of evidence and play a key role in winning a VA disability claim—but only if written and submitted correctly. Join us as we discuss 8 of the most common lay statement mistakes we see and how to avoid making them.

READ more about tips for writing a VA buddy letter: https://cck-law.com/blog/va-buddy-let...

Try our FREE CCK Law VA Claim Builder tool:https://cck-law.com/va-claim-builder/

Read more about CCK Law here: https://cck-law.com/we-work-for-every...

Who We Are: Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick is the nation's leading veterans law firm. Since 1999, CCK Law has grown to include more VA-accredited advocates and attorneys than any other firm and represents nearly 30,000 veterans or their dependents before Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. CCK Law attorneys have argued many of the most precedent-setting cases in veterans law, playing an indispensable role in clarifying the benefits of millions of veterans. As of 2025, the firm has published over 2,500 pages and 800 videos of free legal resources for veterans and their dependents.

Feel free to ask questions, give us feedback, or request new veterans' law topics below! And don't forget to SUBSCRIBE so you won’t miss future videos. Visit our website at cck-law.com or call (888) 559-1385.

0:00 Introduction
0:30 What Are Lay Statements?
1:31 Mistake 1: Failing to Link Statement to the Claim
2:04 Mistake 2: Not Including the Veteran’s Identifying Information
2:30 Mistake 3: Using Vague or Generic Language
2:55 Mistake 4: Exaggerating Symptoms or Making Diagnoses
3:19 Mistake 5: Leaving Out Important Context or Timeframes
3:40 Mistake 6: Submitting Overly Long or Disorganized Statements
3:53 Mistake 7: Author Not Explaining Their Relationship to the Veteran
4:18 Mistake 8: Not Submitting a Lay Statement
4:50 Conclusion