StacksVerified U.S. federal law reference

38 U.S.C. § 5107 — Claimant responsibility; benefit of the doubt

Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov
  1. (a)Claimant ResponsibilityExcept as otherwise provided by law, a claimant has the responsibility to present and support a claim for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary.
  2. (b)Benefit of the DoubtThe Secretary shall consider all information and lay and medical evidence of record in a case before the Secretary with respect to benefits under laws administered by the Secretary. When there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding any issue material to the determination of a matter, the Secretary shall give the benefit of the doubt to the claimant.