Buddy Letters

Definition

Buddy Letters, also known as Statement in Support of Claim, are informal documents written by a veteran’s friends, family, or former military colleagues. These letters provide additional context and personal testimony to support a veteran’s claim for disability benefits. They often describe the veteran’s experiences, including witnessed changes in behavior, ability, and overall well-being due to service-related events or injuries.

Key Takeaways

1. Buddy Letters are written statements from fellow service members, friends, or family members that provide evidence of a veteran’s claimed disability, injury, or event that occurred during their military service.
2. These letters can be used as supplementary evidence in the disability claim process, helping to strengthen a veteran’s case and increase the likelihood of being awarded compensation.
3. When writing a Buddy Letter, it’s essential to be specific and detailed about the claimed incident or disability, including dates, locations, and any firsthand observations, as well as the author’s personal information and relationship to the veteran.

Importance

Buddy Letters, also known as Statements in Support of Claim and Lay Evidence, are important in the VA benefits claim process because they provide crucial, firsthand evidence from individuals who can testify to a veteran’s military experience, injury, or condition.

These letters serve to strengthen the veteran’s case by offering credible testimony to confirm the events, such as combat exposure or training accidents, that may have led to the claimed disability.

Essentially, Buddy Letters help bridge any gaps in the veteran’s records and enhance the validity of their claim, thereby increasing the likelihood of obtaining disability compensation and other necessary benefits.

Explanation

Buddy Letters, also known as Statements in Support of Claim or lay statements, play an essential role in the VA benefits claims process. Their primary purpose is to provide supplementary evidence for a veteran’s disability claim, allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better understand the severity and impact of the veteran’s service-connected impairments.

Buddy Letters can be crucial in filling in any gaps in proof that may be lacking in a veteran’s military service records, corroborating the injury or condition’s connection to their time spent in active duty. These written statements lend credibility to a veteran’s claim, increasing the likelihood of a positive decision regarding their request for disability benefits.

Buddy Letters are produced by individuals who personally witnessed how the veteran was affected by their service or have become aware of the limitations the veteran faces due to their disability. This diverse group could consist of former service members, family members, friends, or even healthcare providers.

By sharing personal anecdotes and recounting the various ways in which the injury or condition has hindered the veteran’s daily life, these narrators build a compelling case for acknowledging and compensating their struggles. A well-prepared Buddy Letter can prove invaluable for a veteran when pursuing their deserved VA benefits, ensuring that their sacrifices and hardships are duly recognized and honored.

Examples of Buddy Letters

Buddy Letters, also known as Statements in Support of Claim, are essential components of a successful VA Benefits claim process. They can provide critical evidence and support a veteran’s case for disability benefits by documenting experiences, validating symptoms or incidents, and explaining how the veteran’s military service caused or contributed to their current disability or injury. Here are three real-world examples of Buddy Letters:

PTSD Confirmation: A veteran is seeking disability benefits for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) stemming from a traumatic event that occurred during their military service. A buddy who served with the veteran can write a letter recalling the event, detailing the surroundings and circumstances that led to the veteran’s mental trauma, and any notable changes in the veteran’s behavior afterward. This letter can help substantiate the veteran’s claim of suffering from PTSD as a result of the event.

Exposure to Hazardous Materials: A veteran may have been exposed to hazardous materials such as Agent Orange or other toxic substances during their service, resulting in various illnesses or disabilities. A fellow service member can write a Buddy Letter detailing the time and place they and the veteran were exposed to dangerous substances, as well as any adverse health effects they witnessed in the veteran afterwards. The letter may describe the storage, handling, or use of hazardous materials and how the exposure to these chemicals has led to specific health problems.

Injury Validation: A veteran injured during their service is seeking compensation for a resulting disability, such as chronic pain or limited movement. A Buddy Letter from someone who was with the veteran at the time of injury can provide a firsthand account of the incident, describing the injury and its immediate aftermath. This account can help validate that the injury occurred during service and has a direct connection to the veteran’s current disability.

FAQ Section: Buddy Letters

What is a Buddy Letter?

A Buddy Letter is a statement written by a friend, family member, or fellow service member that supports a veteran’s VA disability claim. They can provide crucial evidence to help describe the events that occurred during service or corroborate the veteran’s symptoms and experiences relating to their claim.

Why are Buddy Letters important for a VA claim?

Buddy Letters are important because they provide additional information to support a veteran’s claim for disability benefits. They often fill in gaps in the veteran’s official military records, verify events and the veteran’s service, or describe the severity and impact of a veteran’s symptoms on their daily life.

Who can write a Buddy Letter?

Anyone who has firsthand knowledge of the veteran’s service, injury, or condition can write a Buddy Letter. This includes fellow service members, friends, family members, or even medical professionals who can provide information that supports the veteran’s claim for disability benefits.

What should be included in a Buddy Letter?

A Buddy Letter should include the writer’s name, address, and contact information, the date, a statement of the writer’s relationship to the veteran, a description of the event or incident that led to the veteran’s disability or a description of the veteran’s symptoms, and the impact of the disability on the veteran’s daily life. It should also include any relevant details that support the veteran’s claim, such as the dates and locations of events, and a statement of the writer’s personal knowledge and observations.

How do I submit a Buddy Letter to the VA?

To submit a Buddy Letter as part of a veteran’s VA disability claim, the veteran should include the letter along with their VA Form 21-526EZ (Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits) or other appropriate forms. It can also be submitted through the VA’s eBenefits online portal or mailed to the VA regional office handling the veteran’s claim.

Related VA Benefit Terms

• Sworn Declarations
• Eyewitness Testimony
• Secondary Evidence
• Service Connection
• Disability Compensation

Sources for More Information

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Veterans Law Blog
• HadIt.com – Veteran to Veteran
• Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD