Chris Movafagh’s path to becoming a personal injury attorney began with a traumatic event from his own childhood. At age seven, while riding in the back seat of his family’s car in Northern Virginia, Chris was involved in a serious rear-end collision. Unsecured in the days before widespread seatbelt use, he was thrown forward, striking his head on the windshield and losing consciousness.
His parents, recent immigrants from Iran who had fled during that country’s revolution, were approached the very next day by insurance company representatives. Unfamiliar with the American legal system and concerned about mounting medical bills, they accepted a quick $2,000 settlement, signing documents that released the insurance company from all future claims.
The Aftermath of a Quick Settlement
Within days of the settlement, young Chris developed a severe stutter. It was an early manifestation of the traumatic brain injury he had suffered. What followed were years of speech therapy, struggle, and childhood ridicule. When his parents sought additional help from the insurance company to cover these ongoing medical expenses, they were told they had signed away their rights.
This experience had a profound impact on Chris, who witnessed firsthand how his immigrant family struggled financially to pay for his rehabilitation while he endured years of speech therapy to overcome his stutter. The injustice of this situation planted the seeds for his future career.
From Student to Legal Advocate
Despite these early challenges, Chris excelled academically, graduating with honors from George Mason University before earning his law degree from Western State University College of Law. His firsthand experience as an injury victim gave him unique insight into the struggles his future clients would face.
Chris began his legal career at one of Southern California’s largest personal injury firms, where he honed his negotiation skills and legal tactics. However, he soon noticed a troubling pattern: high-volume practices often prioritized quick settlements over maximizing client compensation. He saw how clients, like his own family years before, were encouraged to accept offers that might not fully address their long-term needs.
Founding Mova Law Group
In 2015, Chris founded Mova Law Group Personal Injury Attorneys. His mission for this new law firm was crystal clear: to create a personal injury practice that would treat clients as individuals, not case numbers. Taking the unconventional approach of deliberately limiting his caseload, he built a firm that focuses on quality representation over quantity.
Today, Mova Law Group has expanded from its San Diego headquarters to include offices across California, from El Cajon to Oceanside. The firm typically handles around 70-80 cases at a time, allowing attorneys to develop comprehensive case strategies and maintain close client relationships.
The firm has gained particular recognition for taking on challenging cases that other attorneys have rejected. One notable example was securing a $450,000 settlement for a client whose case had been deemed worthless by four other firms.
Chris’s commitment to client advocacy stems directly from his personal history. “Every client who walks through our door reminds me of my parents all those years ago,” he often says. “Confused, worried, and needing someone to fight for them.”
