Put your claim in immediately. The clock ticks from the date of your claim.
Think about what you will state in the claim, cause once you put it on record, one misword, and it will hang you. Make sure the claim states (if this is what it is in your case), that the injury was wholly as a result of military duty. Send a certified copy of the CF 98 and/or the DND Accident Report or any other official report i.e MSE accident report.
If you are released, ensure the release medical, documents the medical reasons, causes, effects (i.e. cannot stand or walk for more than 30 minutes), long term effects, and that it was attributed to duty. Maybe I am wrong, but my experience is that when released, the military wants to say that you are now the same fit person you were when you joined, just a bit older. So watch what the doctor writes and object if you do not agree with it.
Part of the claim is an additional form for you to sign authorizing VAC access to your military medical records. As stated, if your medical info is current you are good to go.
VAC medical doctors only do an examination of what you are claiming. They DO NOT make any recommendation of any kind. None. No opinion. None. So don't look for help from them.
A lot of the VAC medical form is check boxes. For any narrative that is written, the VAC doctor has to put their VAC doctor's round words into the VAC round hole medical form. Not all the words they write fit into the round holes.
VAC will acknowledge receipt of your claim, and the clock will start. Send by certified mail. Request acknowledgement. Follow up in 10 working days. If it is your first claim you will also receive a file number, which will be your permanent VAC "service number" which you will provide in all dealings with VAC.