What is MVA in lead generation?
In lead generation, MVA stands for Motor Vehicle Accident. An MVA lead is a prospective client who has been in a car, truck, motorcycle, or pedestrian collision and has submitted their information to a marketing source seeking a personal injury attorney.
In practice, a lead is generated when a person searches for help after a crash — through Google, a paid ad, a TV spot, a social campaign, or an SMS funnel — and submits their information. A vetted MVA lead provider verifies the consent, screens out spam and obvious non-qualifiers, and routes the lead to one or more attorneys in real time.
What an MVA lead actually contains
A quality MVA lead record typically includes:
- Full name and direct phone number
- Email address
- State and ZIP of incident
- Date of accident
- Brief description of injuries
- Whether at-fault driver was insured
- Whether the person is currently represented by another attorney
- TCPA-compliant consent capture timestamp and IP
Exclusive vs. shared MVA leads
Exclusive leads — Sold to one firm only. Higher cost per lead, but typically 3–5× higher contact rates and a measurably lower cost per signed case.
Shared leads — The same lead is sold to multiple firms simultaneously. Lower cost per lead, but the prospect is contacted by 3–8 attorneys within minutes, which collapses contact rates and signing rates.
Most growth-focused PI firms eventually move to exclusive supply because the unit economics on a per-signed-case basis are clearer. See our exclusive MVA leads page for the full breakdown.
What are MVA retainers?
An MVA retainer is the signed engagement agreement between an injury victim and a personal injury attorney for a motor vehicle accident case. Most are written on contingency: the firm only collects a fee — typically 33⅓% pre-suit and up to 40% if filed — when it recovers settlement or verdict money for the client.
MVA vs. MVC — is there a difference?
MVA and MVC both refer to a vehicle collision but the terminology differs by region and profession. Police and prosecutors often prefer Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC) because 'accident' implies no fault. Insurance carriers and personal injury attorneys generally use Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA). The underlying event — a crash involving a vehicle — is the same.
What does MVA mean in business?
In a business or finance context, MVA can mean Market Value Added (a measure of value created above invested capital) or Motor Vehicle Accident in insurance/claims contexts. The correct meaning depends on industry: in corporate finance it is Market Value Added; in fleet, transport, or claims operations it is Motor Vehicle Accident.