RIROADWAYINTAKE

Guide · 7 min read

Where Do Personal Injury Firms Get MVA Cases? Six Sources Compared

An honest comparison of the six main ways personal injury firms acquire motor vehicle accident cases — own advertising, referrals, shared leads, pay-per-call, live transfer and retainer providers, and outsourced intake.

By Roadway Intake Partners · Updated

01

1. Your own advertising

TV, radio, billboards, search ads and local SEO build a brand and produce inquiries that are exclusive by default. The trade-offs are cost, time to ramp and the need for an intake team that answers every call. It is the foundation most established firms build on.

02

2. Referrals

Past clients, other attorneys and professional networks produce high-trust cases. Volume is hard to scale or predict, and referral-fee arrangements must follow your state's professional-conduct rules.

03

3. Shared lead marketplaces

Marketplaces sell web inquiries to several firms at once, sometimes through ping-post auctions. They are cheap per lead and fast to start, but every buyer races to reach the same claimant, and consent quality varies widely.

04

4. Pay-per-call networks

Networks route inbound accident calls to buyers and charge per call past a minimum duration. They deliver a live conversation, but screening depth, exclusivity and consent practices differ by network and publisher, so vetting matters.

05

5. Live transfer and signed-retainer providers

Dedicated intake call centers — such as Roadway Intake — speak with each claimant first, screen against the firm's criteria, then warm-transfer the call or deliver an e-signed retainer. Unit prices are higher than raw leads, but contact is guaranteed and screening happens before your team spends time. Look for exclusivity in writing, recordings, consent records and a capped pilot.

06

6. Outsourced intake and follow-up calling

Not a source of new cases on its own, but it raises the yield of every other source: an outsourced intake team answers after-hours and overflow calls in your firm's name, and an outbound team works leads your staff couldn't reach.

07

How to combine them

A common pattern is own advertising plus referrals as the base, one screened outside source (live transfers or retainers) for predictable volume, and outsourced intake so no inquiry from any source goes unanswered. Measure each source on cost per signed case and shift budget monthly toward whatever signs best.

Next step

Get cases in your stateStart with a capped pilot.

Book a 20-minute partner call. We map your states, criteria and capacity, then propose a small pilot — before you commit to any volume.

Call (800) 555-0199Get Cases →