Q: How important is/are the number of years an attorney has practiced law? 

A:

When it comes to attorneys experience definitely counts.  Would you let a first year medical student perform your heart surgery?  That same logic applies to lawyers.  It usually takes years of handling personal injury cases and negotiating with insurance companies before an attorney starts to learn and fully understand the industry’s strategies and tactics. 

Hire someone with at least 10 years of experience handling personal injury cases.  After many years the attorney has usually handled a lot of cases and has exposure to many types of injuries, legal issues, and strategies employed by the other side.  I would probably not want a younger attorney, even if that attorney is at a larger firm.  This is because many large firms utilize a hands-off approach to allow the younger associates to gain experience and handle things themselves.  Also, you want the attorney who will be primarily working on your case to have the experience, not some older partner who may only review your file a few times, if that.