Work through a fictional secondary VA claim
This worked example follows a made-up secondary claim through Medrecords AI, from setup to the report. The veteran, the clinics and the records are all invented. It shows how to set up the case, find the gaps, track the claimed condition with Q&A and search, and write a cited Causation Analysis.
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The claim
Daniel served in the Marine Corps. His right knee is already service connected. He now claims a low back condition. His representative says the bad knee changed the way he walks, and that this hurt his back. That makes it a secondary claim.
The file holds his C-file and records from a private spine clinic, called Lakeside Spine Care in this example. Everything here is fictional.
Step 1: set up the case
The nurse on the team, Grace, creates the case and picks Veteran Disability. She uploads the C-file as PDF and the clinic records as a ZIP. She leaves Remove duplicate pages on.
When the case shows Needs confirming, she checks the Case details:
| Field | What Grace picks |
|---|---|
| Branch of service | Marine Corps |
| Service dates | Checked against his discharge papers |
| Theory of service connection | Secondary |
She keeps "low back" in the claimed conditions and removes a note about a cold that is not part of the claim. Then she presses Confirm and continue. See set up a veteran case.
Step 2: check what is missing
The Needs attention card shows 2 missing records. 1 is an X-ray of the back that a VA note ordered on March 3, 2024. The other is a physical therapy plan. Grace presses Request from provider on each. Her email program opens with a draft, which she checks and sends herself.
She also sets Date From and Date To to the year after discharge. There are no records for 14 months. She adds a note about the gap.
Step 3: track the 4 parts
Grace works through the low back claim 1 part at a time. In this example, the records show:
| Part | Date | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Current diagnosis | May 14, 2024 | Lakeside Spine Care diagnoses a lumbar strain |
| First condition | March 3, 2024 | A VA note says he limps on the right leg |
| Nexus, against | July 22, 2024 | A C&P exam says the back is "less likely than not" caused by the knee |
| Nexus, for | September 9, 2024 | A letter from the spine doctor says it is "at least as likely as not" caused by the knee |
She opens the Q&A pane and types in "Ask about this case": "Which doctors give an opinion on whether the back condition is related to the knee? Quote their words." The answer quotes both opinions as written, with citations. It does not say which one wins.
She then searches with Keywords for "gait" and "limp", with Any. She finds 3 more VA notes about his walking. She flags each one "Continuity" with a note.
See track each claimed condition.
Step 4: check the exam against the file
The C&P exam says Daniel had "no complaints of back pain" before 2024. Grace asks in the Q&A pane: "Is there any record of back pain before May 2024?" The answer cites 2 VA notes from early 2024 that mention back pain. She opens each source page and reads it herself. She adds a note for the attorney.
Step 5: write the report
Grace opens Report studio and creates a Causation Analysis. The section "Provider Opinions on Causation" sets both opinions side by side. "Findings Inconsistent With It, or Pointing Elsewhere" lists what cuts against the claim.
She presses Run Verification and Cross-Examination. She clicks each citation in the nexus section before she sends the report to the attorney.
What the app did not do
- It did not decide if the back is service connected.
- It did not pick which doctor is right.
- It gave no rating and no deadline.
Those calls belong to the attorney, the doctors and the VA. Read our guide on how to read a VA C-file.
Only VA-accredited attorneys, agents and Veterans Service Organizations may help prepare and present VA claims for a fee. Medrecords AI is a records tool for them and their staff.
Medrecords AI organizes and cites the records. Its output is not a medical or legal opinion and does not replace your expert.
Related help
- Review a VA disability claim in Medrecords AI
- Which reports fit a VA disability claim?
- Find missing service records and gaps
- Check any fact against its source page
Facts checked against the Medrecords AI app code on 2026-10-24.