If your VA disability claim was denied, or rated lower than you expected, the reasoning didn't come out of nowhere. Somewhere in a file VA calls your claims file — most veterans and accredited reps call it the C-file — is the evidence a rater looked at, the exam reports, and the reasoning behind the decision.
You're allowed to ask for a copy. Most veterans never do, and it's one of the most useful and least-used tools available to anyone who's been denied or is preparing an appeal.
What's in it
Your claims file is the record VA keeps of your disability claims history. Depending on how long you've been filing, it can include:
- Claim forms you've submitted, going back to your first one
- Service treatment records and military personnel records VA pulled in
- C&P exam reports, including the examiner's own notes
- Private medical evidence you or your doctor sent
- Buddy statements and other lay evidence
- The rating decision itself and the reasoning behind it
- Correspondence between you and VA
For someone who filed once, that might be a few hundred pages. For a long claims history, it can run into the thousands.
Why It Matters After a Denial
A decision letter gives you the outcome and a short explanation. It rarely shows you everything the rater weighed. The full file can reveal what the letter summarizes away — which records VA actually had, what the examiner wrote versus what you remember of the exam, and whether evidence you sent ever made it into the file at all.
Why this shapes your next move
The three decision review lanes turn on one question: do you have new evidence? You can't answer that honestly until you know what VA already had. Reading the file first is what tells you whether you're looking at a Supplemental Claim or a Higher-Level Review.
How to Request It
VA handles records requests through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or Privacy Act (PA) Request, VA Form 20-10206. VA describes two ways to submit it: complete and mail the downloadable PDF, or use VA's online submission tool instead of the paper form.
- Decide what you're asking for. Requesting your complete claims file is broader than requesting one exam report, and broader requests generally take longer.
- Fill out VA Form 20-10206, identifying yourself and the records you want.
- Submit it online through VA's tool, or mail the completed PDF.
- Expect a wait, and plan around it rather than around a deadline.
Don't let the request run out your appeal clock
Records requests can take a while, and the 1-year window to request a Higher-Level Review or Board Appeal runs from the date on your decision letter — not from the day your file arrives. If your deadline is approaching, talk to an accredited representative about protecting it while you wait.
What to Look For When It Arrives
- The rating decision and its code sheet — the specific reason for the denial, stated in VA's own words
- The C&P exam report — compare what the examiner recorded against what you described that day
- Whether evidence you submitted is actually in the file, and dated when you sent it
- Gaps in service treatment records, which can explain a missing in-service event
- Any medical opinion language about whether a condition is at least as likely as not related to service
A VSO can read the file with you at no cost. They do this constantly and will spot patterns in a rating decision that aren't obvious the first time you see one.
The Bottom Line
You don't have to guess why VA said no. The reasoning is written down, you can request a copy, and reading it is what turns an appeal from a hopeful resubmission into a targeted response to a specific problem.