Claim Preparation and Filing Visual Guides

29 printable one-page charts on preparing and filing a VA disability claim, in five groups: the core guide, evidence and organization, filing mechanics, tools and post-filing, and research. Three research charts report what the published Board of Veterans' Appeals record shows about lay evidence and missing service records.

29 visual guides. 2 research charts refresh weekly from RateMyVSO's analysis of 1,897,000+ published BVA decisions; each chart prints its own sample size and data date. A third research chart on missing service records is a pinned July 2026 snapshot. The other 26 state the filing paths, the forms and the checklists, and change only when VA changes them.

All 29 visual guides

One-page VA claim preparation guide covering the filing lane, current disability, qualifying basis, medical link, severity evidence, packet organization, and final review. — **1. Claim Preparation and Filing in One Page** PNG PDF Also on: Claim Guide

Thirteen-step VA disability claim roadmap from protecting the potential effective date through organizing, submitting, and preserving proof of the filing. — **2. The 13-Step VA Claim Filing Roadmap** PNG PDF Also on: Claim Guide

Decision guide distinguishing initial claims, increase claims, Supplemental Claims, secondary claims, BDD, section 1151, TDIU, and evidence-development paths. — **3. Which VA Filing Path Fits the Situation?** PNG PDF Also on: Types of VA Disability Claims and When to File Each

Intent to File guide explaining the potential effective-date window, submission routes, limits, and completion checklist. — **4. VA Intent to File Guide** PNG PDF Also on: Claim Guide

Guide to the four questions a complete VA claim file should answer: current disability, qualifying basis, medical link, and ratable severity. — **5. What a Complete VA Claim File Must Show** PNG PDF Also on: Build a Claim File that is Strong and Easy to Understand

Anatomy of a complete VA claim file showing the overview, evidence sections, statements, supporting forms, and submission quality controls. — **6. Anatomy of a Complete VA Claim File** PNG PDF Also on: Build a Claim File that is Strong and Easy to Understand

Optional one-page claim overview template mapping each condition and legal theory to exact supporting-document filenames. — **7. Claim Overview Document Anatomy** PNG PDF Also on: Build a Claim File that is Strong and Easy to Understand

Comparison of evidence the veteran should identify or submit and evidence the VA commonly helps obtain under the Duty to Assist. — **8. Who Gets Which Evidence: Veteran vs VA** PNG PDF Also on: The VA's Duty to Assist: What the VA Must Do for Your Claim

Records request route map for service records, personnel files, unit records, VA and private medical records, the claims file, and FOIA requests. — **9. VA Claim Records Request Route Map** PNG PDF Also on: What to Do When Service Records Are Missing or Destroyed

Personal statement guide covering claim theory, chronological history, functional impact, supporting evidence, and credibility review. — **10. VA Claim Personal Statement Guide** PNG PDF Also on: Build a Claim File that is Strong and Easy to Understand

Buddy statement guide explaining witness identity, firsthand knowledge, specific observations, functional examples, signature, and submission. — **11. VA Buddy Statement Guide** PNG PDF Also on: How the VA Evaluates Buddy and Lay Statements

Medical evidence checklist for documenting a current disability, objective testing, treatment, medical nexus, aggravation, and rating severity. — **12. VA Claim Medical Evidence Checklist** PNG PDF Also on: How to Get Your Private Medical Records for a VA Disability Claim

Comparison of Standard and Fully Developed Claim evidence paths, including what stays the same and why FDC is not an automatic priority lane. — **13. Standard Claim vs Fully Developed Claim** PNG PDF Also on: How the VA Fully Developed Claim (FDC) Program Works

Section-by-section orientation to VA Form 21-526EZ covering claimant identity, military service, claimed conditions, evidence, certification, and signature. — **14. VA Form 21-526EZ Map** PNG PDF Also on: VA Form 21-526EZ: Section-by-Section Guide

Map of common supporting VA forms for lay statements, private-record releases, PTSD stressors, TDIU, Intent to File, dependents, and representation. — **15. Supporting VA Forms Map** PNG PDF Also on: VA Form 21-526EZ: Section-by-Section Guide

Guide to naming conditions on VA Form 21-526EZ using documented diagnoses or truthful symptoms and identifying secondary-claim direction. — **16. Naming Conditions on VA Form 21-526EZ** PNG PDF Also on: Filing Terms used on 21-526EZ

Submission-day checklist covering the application, evidence packet, uploads, signatures, receipt, retained copy, and next-action log. — **17. VA Claim Submission-Day Checklist** PNG PDF Also on: Claim File Readiness Check

Common VA claim filing mistakes involving the wrong lane, incomplete forms, vague conditions, missing evidence, document dumps, statements, and post-filing responses. — **18. Common VA Claim Filing Mistakes** PNG PDF Also on: Claim Guide

Orientation to the RateMyVSO Guided Filing Tool showing claim lanes, condition selection, secondary relationships, and tailored preparation resources. — **19. How to Use the Guided Filing Tool** PNG PDF Also on: File a Claim

Orientation to the Claim File Readiness Check explaining claim-type paths, file-completeness questions, score, gap list, and limitations. — **20. How to Use the Claim File Readiness Check** PNG PDF Also on: Claim File Readiness Check

Post-filing guide showing the eight VA.gov tracker steps for a disability claim, from Claim Received to Claim Decided, and the requests that need a response. — **21. What Happens After Filing a VA Claim** PNG PDF Also on: Stages of a VA Disability Claim: From Filing to Decision

Research guide on lay evidence in published Board decisions: general lay-evidence language appeared in 736,757 of 1,926,240 decisions (38.2 percent), split 13.4 percent granted, 30.6 percent denied, 37.2 percent mixed, 17.5 percent remanded and 1.3 percent unclassified, alongside 550,288 named case-law references. Data November 2026. — **22. Lay Evidence in Published BVA Decisions** PNG PDF Also on: How the VA Evaluates Buddy and Lay Statements

Bar chart ranking the ten diagnostic codes appearing most often in Board decisions with general lay-evidence language, against a fixed 125,000-decision axis. Posttraumatic stress disorder (DC 9411) leads with 113,185 decisions, followed by Hearing loss (DC 6100) at 101,678 and Lumbosacral or cervical strain (DC 5237) at 77,305. Volume only, not a grant rate. Data November 2026. — **23. Conditions Where Lay Evidence Appears Most** PNG PDF Also on: How the VA Evaluates Buddy and Lay Statements

Research snapshot of Board decisions acknowledging missing service records, classified outcomes, evidence cited in grants, and alternate-evidence routes. — **24. Missing Service Records at the Board** PNG PDF Also on: What to Do When Service Records Are Missing or Destroyed

Field guide to common VA claim Files tab entries, explaining status labels, filenames, document types and received dates, plus DBQs, medical opinions, appointment letters, exam requests and rework, TERA and ILER records, service and private records, lay statements, automated review summaries, VA forms, and what smccalculator.pdf may signal. — **25. VA Claim Files, Decoded** PNG PDF Also on: Inside Your VA Claim

One-page guide to requesting only completed DBQ files from one C&P examination using VA Form 20-10206, including condition DBQs and any separate Medical Opinion DBQ, with copy-ready wording that excludes the complete exam bundle, full medical record, and complete C-file. — **26. Request Just Your DBQs After a C&P Exam** PNG PDF Also on: Your VA & military records. Start at the right office.

One-page guide to requesting the complete record bundle from one named C&P examination using VA Form 20-10206, including completed DBQs, any Medical Opinion DBQ, examiner rationale, related diagnostic test reports, addenda, clarification responses, and rework, while excluding unrelated medical records and the rest of the C-file. — **27. Get Your Complete C&P Exam Records** PNG PDF Also on: Your VA & military records. Start at the right office.

How to request your complete VA claims file using Form 20-10206, with suggested wording and a comparison to DBQ-only and complete-exam requests. — **28. Request Your Complete VA Claims File (C-file)** PNG PDF Also on: Your VA & military records. Start at the right office.

Four-step guide to gathering exam records, comparing seven parts of a DBQ, checking related C-file evidence, and recording any possible mismatch. — **29. Check your DBQ against your C-file** PNG PDF Also on: Your VA & military records. Start at the right office.

How to read these charts. The research charts count Board decisions, not veterans: one veteran can appear in several decisions, so a count is never a headcount. A detected lay-evidence reference means the Board wrote about lay evidence in that decision. It does not show that the lay evidence was competent or credible, or that it caused the outcome. The ranked-conditions chart reports decision volume only: it is not a grant rate, not how common a condition is among veterans, and not a measure of whether the evidence was enough. Every chart prints its own sample size, scale and date. None of this predicts an individual claim's outcome.

Claim Preparation and Filing Visual Guides

All 29 visual guides

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