VA Claim Evidence Organizer — Veteran2Veteran

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This tool walks you through one claim at a time. You tell it what kind of claim you're building, it gives you the exact list of evidence to gather, tells you what to name every file, and prints a checklist you can work from.

Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere. When your list is ready, print it — the paper copy is your working document.

What kind of claim is this?

Pick the one that fits. If you're filing for several conditions, run this tool once per condition.

Your last name Used to name your files.

Your first name Optional.

What condition is this claim for? Write it the way you'd say it out loud — "ringing in my ears," "low back pain," "sleep apnea."

Which already-service-connected condition do you believe caused or worsened it? The one VA has already granted. Name it exactly as it appears on your rating decision.

Which exposure or service period applies?

Roughly when was your most recent decision on this condition? Month and year is fine. Everything you gather should show the condition since then.

Is this a mental health condition tied to a traumatic event in service?

Do you get treatment for this at a VA facility? Do you see any non-VA (private or civilian) doctors for this? How many people could write a statement about what they personally saw? Spouse, battle buddy, coworker, adult child — anyone who witnessed the event or watched the condition affect you.

Evidence Plan

0 of 0

required items collected
Check items off as you gather them.

Before you gather anything: if you have not filed an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966), consider doing that first. It can protect your effective date while you spend the next few weeks pulling this packet together. It is a separate, short form.

Your evidence checklist

Items marked Required are the backbone of this claim — a packet missing one of these is not ready. Items marked Strengthens are what separate a thin claim from a well-built one.

How to name and file everything

The naming pattern

Every file gets the same four parts, separated by underscores:

Two rules that matter more than they look:

Use the date on the document, not today's date — and always write it year-month-day (2019-03-04, not 3/4/19). Written that way, your computer sorts every file into date order by itself.

If you have more than one of the same kind of document, add -01, -02, -03 to the end of the document-type part. Two sets of private records from different clinics become PrivateRecords-01 and PrivateRecords-02.

Your folder structure

Make one folder for this claim. Inside it, six numbered folders. The numbers force them to stay in order on your screen.

Scan everything to PDF if you can. If all you have is a photo of a page, that still counts — name it the same way.

Evidence log

This is your cover sheet. Fill it in as you go, print the finished version, and put it on top of the packet. It's also how you remember what you already asked for and who still owes you records.