Procurement-grade tool
State Qualification Index™
How hard is it to qualify a motor vehicle accident lead in each U.S. state? We score every state 1–10 on five axes drawn directly from the underlying tort law, insurance code, and bar-advertising regime. Procurement-grade analysis, no marketing-deck fluff.
6.4
Highest-difficulty state — Alabama
5.0
Median across states scored
3.0
Lowest-difficulty state — Missouri
25
States with full qualification framework
The Index
Sort by any axis · click any state for the full framework
Higher score = harder to qualify. Counterintuitively, high-difficulty states are often the most profitable for firms who can engineer for the filter — the friction creates competitive moat. Low-difficulty states have more lead supply but tighter margins.
| AlabamaAL Contributory + Huntsville aerospace federal-contractor overlay. | 10 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6.4 | |
| VirginiaVA Contributory + densest federal-employee coverage overlay in NoVa. | 10 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6.3 | |
| TennesseeTN 1-year SOL — shortest in the US. | 7 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6.1 | |
| North CarolinaNC 1%-fault contributory rule — most claimant-unfriendly in country. | 10 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | |
| MarylandMD Contributory + waivable $2,500 PIP — lowest mandatory PIP in US. | 10 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | |
| PennsylvaniaPA 55% of drivers carry limited tort. | 5 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 5.9 | |
| New JerseyNJ Two TV DMAs (NYC + Philly) + 89% limited-tort election. | 5 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 5.9 | |
| TexasTX Largest US market — but 14% uninsured rate hides coverage cliffs. | 5 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 5.8 | |
| LouisianaLA Civil-law jurisdiction (Napoleonic Code) + 1-year prescription + direct-action statute. | 2 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 5.5 | |
| KentuckyKY Choice no-fault + KMVRA tolling — SOL clock waits for PIP exhaustion. | 2 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 5.5 | |
| FloridaFL Post-SB 236 reform reset every margin. | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5.4 | |
| GeorgiaGA Atlanta produces 41% of statewide volume. | 7 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5.4 | |
| IllinoisIL Cook County concentrates 75% of case-value pipeline. | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | |
| ColoradoCO Strict 50% bar + I-70 mountain corridor + marijuana DUI evidentiary law. | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | |
| OhioOH Three-city anchor (Columbus / Cleveland / Cincinnati) = 70% of state volume. | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4.9 | |
| IndianaIN ITCA $700K cap on governmental defendants + Chicago DMA spillover in NW Indiana. | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4.9 | |
| MichiganMI Four-tier PIP election ($50K / $250K / $500K / unlimited) after 2019 PA 21. | 5 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4.8 | |
| MassachusettsMA Lowest tort threshold in US ($2,000 medical) + mandatory PIP-first filing. | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4.7 | |
| South CarolinaSC No MVA punitive cap + 1.8x national fatality rate. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4.5 | |
| WisconsinWI Family Purpose Doctrine extends owner liability + 6-year property SOL. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4.5 | |
| CaliforniaCA Pure comparative tailwind undercut by PROP 213. | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4.4 | |
| ArizonaAZ Pure comparative + 12% uninsured = UM/UIM screening dominates intake. | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 4.4 | |
| New YorkNY $50K mandatory PIP — highest in the US. | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 4.1 | |
| WashingtonWA Pure comparative + IFCA bad-faith leverage (RCW 48.30.015). | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3.6 | |
| MissouriMO 5-year SOL — longest in US. Older leads still convert. | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
Contributory + Huntsville aerospace federal-contractor overlay.
Negligence
10SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
7Contributory + densest federal-employee coverage overlay in NoVa.
Negligence
10SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
61-year SOL — shortest in the US.
Negligence
7SOL pressure
9Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
61%-fault contributory rule — most claimant-unfriendly in country.
Negligence
10SOL pressure
4Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
7Contributory + waivable $2,500 PIP — lowest mandatory PIP in US.
Negligence
10SOL pressure
4Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
755% of drivers carry limited tort.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
6Framework
9Bar ads
6Coverage
4Two TV DMAs (NYC + Philly) + 89% limited-tort election.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
6Framework
9Bar ads
6Coverage
4Largest US market — but 14% uninsured rate hides coverage cliffs.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
8Coverage
8Civil-law jurisdiction (Napoleonic Code) + 1-year prescription + direct-action statute.
Negligence
2SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
10Coverage
9Choice no-fault + KMVRA tolling — SOL clock waits for PIP exhaustion.
Negligence
2SOL pressure
9Framework
9Bar ads
4Coverage
4Post-SB 236 reform reset every margin.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
6Framework
6Bar ads
6Coverage
4Atlanta produces 41% of statewide volume.
Negligence
7SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
6Cook County concentrates 75% of case-value pipeline.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
6Coverage
5Strict 50% bar + I-70 mountain corridor + marijuana DUI evidentiary law.
Negligence
7SOL pressure
4Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
6Three-city anchor (Columbus / Cleveland / Cincinnati) = 70% of state volume.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
6ITCA $700K cap on governmental defendants + Chicago DMA spillover in NW Indiana.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
6Four-tier PIP election ($50K / $250K / $500K / unlimited) after 2019 PA 21.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
4Framework
8Bar ads
4Coverage
3Lowest tort threshold in US ($2,000 medical) + mandatory PIP-first filing.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
4Framework
6Bar ads
6Coverage
3No MVA punitive cap + 1.8x national fatality rate.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
4Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
6Family Purpose Doctrine extends owner liability + 6-year property SOL.
Negligence
5SOL pressure
4Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
6Pure comparative tailwind undercut by PROP 213.
Negligence
2SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
6Coverage
6Pure comparative + 12% uninsured = UM/UIM screening dominates intake.
Negligence
2SOL pressure
6Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
8$50K mandatory PIP — highest in the US.
Negligence
2SOL pressure
4Framework
7Bar ads
7Coverage
2Pure comparative + IFCA bad-faith leverage (RCW 48.30.015).
Negligence
2SOL pressure
4Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
65-year SOL — longest in US. Older leads still convert.
Negligence
2SOL pressure
1Framework
3Bar ads
4Coverage
6Score key: 1–3 low difficulty · 4–6 moderate · 7–8 high · 9–10 maximum
Methodology
How the score is computed
Each state is scored 1–10 on five axes drawn from documented state law — not opinion. The aggregate is a weighted average. Negligence rule and SOL pressure are weighted highest because they are the hardest-to-fix qualification filters at intake. Coverage availability and framework complexity carry standard weight. Bar-advertising restrictiveness is weighted lower because vendor compliance is an operational concern, not a per-lead filter.
01Negligence-rule severity
Weight ×1.5How strictly the state's comparative-negligence rule limits recovery. Contributory states bar recovery at 1% claimant fault; pure-comparative states preserve recovery at any fault level.
02SOL pressure
Weight ×1.2How short the personal injury statute of limitations is. 1-year states (LA, TN) compress lead-vintage tolerance dramatically; 5-year states (MO) give the most case-management runway.
03Liability-framework complexity
Weight ×1How many qualification gates the state's liability framework adds beyond fault. Choice no-fault and modified no-fault add tort-election filters; at-fault states have the cleanest tort math.
04Bar-advertising restrictiveness
Weight ×0.8How strict the state bar's advertising and solicitation rules are. Louisiana's 10-rule framework requires pre-approval; Texas requires Advertising Review Committee sign-off. Most national lead vendors don't comply.
05Coverage-availability difficulty
Weight ×1How hard it is to find recoverable insurance coverage. High uninsured-motorist rates + no PIP mandate = most difficult (LA, TX, AZ). Mandatory high PIP + low uninsured = easiest (NY, MI).
Why this matters for procurement
When a national lead vendor sells you Florida and North Carolina leads at the same CPL, they are pricing two completely different products. Florida has modified-51% comparative negligence (recovery preserved at fault percentages ≤50%); North Carolina has pure contributory negligence (1% fault bars all recovery). Vendors who don't price the state-specific qualification difficulty into their CPL are quietly transferring case-value risk to the buying firm. This index makes that math visible.
Go deeper
Drill down by framework type
The Index aggregates everything into a single score. Our three comparison hubs go deeper on the most consequential framework categories:
Citing the Index
Use the Index in your procurement work
Citation format for RFPs, vendor evaluations, or internal briefings:
Mass Tort Agency, State Qualification Index™, https://www.masstortagency.net/tools/state-qualification-index (accessed [date]).The Index is updated annually as state insurance code and tort reform legislation evolve. Last full review: May 2026. Major reform events trigger an out-of-cycle re-score (e.g., Florida's SB 236 in March 2023 reset all five Florida axes).