Curtis S. came out of the Army in 2020 with a 40% rating. His back, shoulder, and tinnitus were covered. His chronic headaches were rated at 0%. His PTSD was never filed.
He was living with both every day. Neither one was on record.
Curtis served as an 11B Infantryman with the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Two in-service events anchored what would become the PTSD claim.
The first was a severe appendix rupture that nearly killed him while on active duty. The second was a violent assault outside the barracks where 20 to 30 Artillery soldiers jumped eight members of his Infantry unit. No chaplain was offered afterward. No one asked how they were doing.
When he left in 2020, the PTSD from those events had never been filed. His headaches, which had been documented in service, sat at 0%.
Our team built the PTSD claim around a private psychiatrist independent medical opinion, a detailed stressor statement covering both in-service events, and a buddy statement from his fiancee documenting his daily struggles and how she intervenes for him in public settings.
For the headaches, we used six months of Migraine Buddy app logs to document the frequency and severity of his episodes over time.
The VA granted PTSD at 50%. The headaches went from 0% to 50%. His combined rating jumped from 40% to 90%.
Curtis is no longer working due to his conditions. His TDIU path is next.
Conditions granted: PTSD newly rated at 50%, post-traumatic headaches increased from 0% to 50%.
Existing ratings unchanged: lower back at 20%, right shoulder at 20%, tinnitus at 10%.
“Pain was too much. I couldn’t do it.”
— Curtis, 2025
Conditions that were never filed can still be won. Curtis had PTSD from documented in-service events that had simply never been claimed. Filing a condition years after separation is not unusual and it is not too late. If something happened during your service that still affects you, it is worth looking at.
App data counts as evidence. Six months of Migraine Buddy logs gave the VA a documented, consistent record of Curtis’s headache frequency and severity. Personal health tracking data is legitimate evidence when it is consistent and verifiable.
Lay statements from people close to you carry real weight. Curtis’s fiancee wrote about what she observes daily. Not what she assumed. What she actually sees. That kind of firsthand account from someone in the veteran’s immediate life can make a claim more concrete to a rater who only has paperwork in front of them.
William Prosper is a veterans’ benefits consultant and the driving force behind Veterans Benefits International, a private advocacy firm laser-focused on getting U.S. veterans every benefit they’ve earned - and then some. With years of hands-on experience guiding service members through the VA claims maze, he knows exactly how to cut through red tape, fix broken claims, and force the system to do its damn job.
He’s helped thousands of veterans navigate everything from VA Form 21-526EZ to Higher-Level Reviews, supplemental claims, and Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) - a benefit many vets never even knew existed. His approach blends deep knowledge of VA regulations with blunt, plain-language coaching that strips away confusion and puts veterans back in control of their cases.
William’s reputation is built on results. His work has been recognized in veteran support circles, legal assistance networks, and online communities where he shares no-nonsense, step-by-step strategies to maximize benefits. Whether he’s dismantling bad VA decisions, identifying overlooked secondaries, or training other advocates, his mission is the same - make sure veterans and their families never settle for less than they deserve.
John M. gave the U.S. Navy 20 years. He survived a missile attack at…
Kyle M. was not chasing a big check. He had a daughter. He knew…
Paulo C. enlisted in the U.S. Army after September 11. He served from 2001…
Kenneth C. had been fighting the VA for years. His first claim was denied…
Derrick C. deployed to Balad, Iraq as an Air Force firefighter. His job put…
