How I Built My VA Disability Claim With Almost No Medical Records

If you served in a unit where going to medical was treated as a weakness, your service treatment records probably don't say much. Mine didn't.

That makes a VA disability claim harder. Your injuries can be real and connected to service, but the rater reviewing your file wasn't there. They only know what's written down.

I'm not a VA-accredited representative, and I'm not here to tell you how to get a higher rating. I filed my own claim, and this is the process I followed to build it. If you'd rather have someone walk through it with you, there's free help for that, and I'll point you to it at the end.

Why my claim was an uphill climb

I served in an artillery battery with 1st Battalion, 11th Marines. My unit put mission readiness first. Nobody went to the battalion aid station unless they had to. When something did need attention, it got downplayed. Guys who went to medical on their own too often got a reputation.

To make it harder, toward the end of my enlistment my unit was in garrison with no deployment coming up, and I put in a package for an early release program. I was ready for the next chapter, and I'd heard a clean medical record would help get it approved. Looking back, that was short-sighted. But back then I thought disability was for guys with serious combat injuries, not someone like me.

So when I got out, I had service-connected injuries and very little paperwork showing it. I knew I'd have to build the case myself.

Step 1: File an intent to file

This is the easiest step. An intent to file tells the VA you plan to submit a claim. Once it's on record, you have one year to file. If your claim is approved, the VA can use your intent-to-file date as your effective date, so you may get back pay from that point.

You can do it online at VA.gov, by mail with VA Form 21-0966, in person at a VA regional office, or by phone at 800-827-1000. I called, and it took a few minutes. If you start the disability application online, VA.gov saves an intent to file for you automatically.

Step 2: Find the exact condition you're claiming

For my shoulder, I couldn't just put "bad shoulder." I had to figure out the specific diagnosis I was claiming.

For that I used the VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities, which is 38 CFR Part 4 in the Code of Federal Regulations. It lists the conditions the VA rates, organized by body system, and spells out the rating for each level of severity.

Take the shoulder. Under diagnostic code 5201, limitation of motion of the arm, the rating depends on how far you can raise it. If you can only lift your dominant arm to shoulder level, that's 20%. Halfway between your side and shoulder level is 30%, and 25 degrees from your side is 40%. Your non-dominant arm is rated a little lower at the two worse levels.

Reading it helped me understand how the VA rates things, and it showed me what the rater actually measures. Just be honest about where you're at. The truth is the easiest thing to back up with evidence.

How the VA combines your ratings

This is where a lot of people get surprised. If you have one condition rated 50%, another at 30%, and another at 20%, it's natural to think you're at 100%. You'd actually be at 70%.

The VA doesn't add ratings together. It uses what it calls the whole person method. You start out 100% able-bodied, and each rating takes its percentage out of whatever is left after the one before it. That way the total can never go over 100%.

Here's that example worked out, starting with the highest rating:

The VA rounds only once, at the very end, and a 5 rounds up. So a 50% and a 30% by themselves come to 65%, which rounds up to 70%. Even two 10% ratings only come to 19%, which rounds to 20%.

One rule works in your favor. If you have rated conditions on both arms, both legs, or matching muscles on both sides, the VA combines those first and then adds 10% of that number before combining it with everything else. This is called the bilateral factor.

Your combined rating is what sets your monthly payment. These are the 2026 rates for a veteran with no dependents, effective December 1, 2025:

In the example above, the difference between what someone might expect and what the math gives is $3,938.58 a month at 100% versus $1,808.45 at 70%. The jump from 90% to 100% alone is $1,576.28 a month.

These amounts are for a veteran with no spouse, children, or dependent parents. If you have dependents and a rating of 30% or higher, your payment will be higher, and the VA's rate tables show the exact amounts. The payments aren't taxable, and they usually go up each year with the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment.

Step 3: Pull every record you can find

Next I went through my old medical records looking for anything at all. Didn't find much, haha.

Look anyway. A single sick call entry or a note about a profile can help. Marines discharged after January 1, 1999 can request their records through the Defense Department's milConnect site. Everyone else can request them online through the National Archives (eVetRecs) or by mail with Standard Form 180.

Step 4: Write a personal statement for each condition

This is where I put in the most work. I wrote a separate statement for every condition, and each one covered:

• When and where it happened, with an approximate date
• How it happened
• How it affected me at the time
• What treatment I got, in service and after
• How it affects my daily life and work now

I went into a lot of detail. The rater can only consider what's in the file, so if you leave it out, they won't know it. You can write it on plain paper or use VA Form 21-4138, the Statement in Support of Claim.

Step 5: Get buddy statements

With so few medical records, statements from other people did a lot of the work for me. The VA calls this lay evidence, and anyone who knows about your condition can provide it. No special training needed. VA Form 21-10210 is made for it, though a signed letter also works.

I got two kinds:

• People at home. My wife and close family and friends wrote about the changes they've seen in me and what my injuries keep me from doing.
• Marines I served with. They wrote statements confirming they were there when each injury happened and describing how it affected me afterward.

I also asked the Marines to include a copy of their DD-214. That shows the rater they actually served with me, which makes their account more credible. The VA doesn't require it. It's something I did to strengthen my file. A DD-214 has a lot of personal information on it, so it's a real favor to ask. Don't push it if they'd rather not.

Step 6: Get post-service treatment and a nexus opinion

Next I collected records from every doctor I'd seen since getting out who had treated me for one of the conditions I was claiming.

The most important piece here is a nexus opinion. That's a provider's written opinion that your condition is "at least as likely as not" caused by something that happened in service. In VA medical opinions, that phrase means a 50% or greater probability. If the evidence is roughly even, the VA's benefit-of-the-doubt rule says it gets resolved in the veteran's favor.

The longer you wait after your EAS, the harder it is to connect a condition to your service. A back problem diagnosed a year after you get out is much easier to link to service than one diagnosed ten years later. For certain chronic conditions, including arthritis, the VA presumes a service connection if you served at least 90 days and the condition is bad enough to rate at 10% or more within one year of separation.

If you're still in, you can file before you get out. The Benefits Delivery at Discharge program takes claims 180 to 90 days before your separation date. If you're still in and thinking about getting out, get your injuries documented now, even if it feels like it'll slow you down.

Step 7: Be honest about mental health

If you're dealing with a mental health condition, this is where you have to be honest and open up. For a lot of us, that's the hardest part of the whole claim.

I'd recommend starting with a counseling program for veterans. Vet Centers offer free, confidential counseling in a non-medical setting for eligible veterans, service members, and their families. You'll still need a diagnosis from a licensed provider for the claim, and if any of your treatment happened outside the VA, ask for copies of those records and submit them yourself.

If you're in crisis right now, call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.

Step 8: Submit and take the claim exam seriously

Once everything was together, I submitted it all through VA.gov and waited for the VA to schedule my exams. The VA reported that disability claims took 68.2 days on average to complete in September 2026.

The claim exam, sometimes called a C&P exam, is done by a VA provider or one of the VA's contracted companies. It isn't treatment. The examiner is there to document your condition for the rater. Give them as much detail as you can:

• How it happened
• When it happened (an approximate date is fine)
• How it affects you today, including on your worst days

Describe your typical days and your flare-ups accurately. Don't downplay it, and don't overstate it.

During range-of-motion testing, speak up the moment it starts to hurt. You might still be able to get your arm over your head, but that's not the whole story. The examiner needs to know the point where pain kicks in, not just how far you can force it. If you've spent years pushing through pain, this is the one time not to. Tell them about flare-ups too, and what you can't do on your bad days, since those probably won't happen during a short appointment.

What the examiner writes down carries a lot of weight in your claim. Don't skip the appointment. If you miss it without a good reason, the VA may decide your claim on whatever is already in your file. Afterward, you can request a copy of the exam report with VA Form 20-10206.

If the decision comes back wrong

You can file a Supplemental Claim if you have new evidence, ask for a Higher-Level Review if you think the VA made an error, or appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. If you file the next review within a year of the decision, you can usually keep your original effective date.

Where to start

• File your intent to file this week. One phone call to 800-827-1000 does it.
• Find the diagnostic code for each condition in 38 CFR Part 4.
• Request your service treatment records.
• Write a personal statement for each condition while the details are fresh.
• Ask family and the people you served with for statements.
• Get treated for each condition now, and ask your provider about a nexus opinion.

There's free help if you want it. The VA says services from an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative are always free. Here in Ohio, every county has a Veterans Service Office staffed by accredited service officers. You can find yours at 877-OHIO-VET (877-644-6838). Before you hire anyone who charges for claim help, look them up in the VA's accreditation search.

I can't help you with your claim. That's what a VSO is for. But once a rating comes through, the money side is where I can help. Back pay can arrive as one large payment. Tax-free monthly income can change how much you need to save and how you save it. And for retirees, the rating can change how much retired pay you keep, which I covered in How Military Retirement Benefits Work With a Civilian Job and a 401(k). If you'd like a second set of eyes on how your benefits fit with the rest of your financial picture, that's what The ClearMind Clarity Method™ is for.

Cheers.

Common questions

Do I need a lawyer to file a VA disability claim?

No. You can file on your own at VA.gov, and an accredited VSO representative can help you for free. Accredited attorneys and claims agents are allowed to charge fees, so make sure you understand the cost before you sign anything.

How long do I have after filing an intent to file?

One year. If you submit a complete claim within a year of the VA receiving your intent to file, the claim is treated as filed on the intent-to-file date, and that can become the date your benefits start.

Can I get VA disability with no service medical records?

Thin records make a claim harder, but the VA accepts lay evidence, including your own statement and buddy statements from people who know about your condition. Combined with current treatment records and a nexus opinion, that can fill in what your service records leave out.

How does the VA combine disability ratings?

The VA doesn't add your ratings together. It starts with your highest rating and applies each one after that to the percentage of you that's left. For example, 50%, 30%, and 20% combine to 72%, which rounds to 70%. Rounding to the nearest 10 happens once, at the end.

What is a buddy statement?

A buddy statement is a written account from someone who knows about your condition or the event that caused it, like a spouse, family member, or someone you served with. It can be a signed letter or VA Form 21-10210, and the person doesn't need medical training.

What does "at least as likely as not" mean in a nexus letter?

It means a 50% or greater probability that your condition is connected to your service. It's the standard the VA uses for medical opinions, and the VA resolves close cases in the veteran's favor.

What if my VA claim is denied?

You can file a Supplemental Claim with new evidence, request a Higher-Level Review, or appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. Filing the next review within one year of the decision can usually keep your original effective date.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice. ClearMind Capital LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Written byShane DuckworthPartner | Private WealthView bio →

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