I have talked about this before. It is extremely important to make sure you hire an attorney with trial experience.
Why? Well, as you can see from this article, there are a lot of attorneys with no trial experience. Trial experience is one of the things insurance companies look at when making offers. The adjusters know who does, and who does not, go to trial and the same case with an attorney with no trial experience is worth less.
How do you find out if your attorney has trial experience? Ask him or her. It is one thing to file a lawsuit, but arguing a case in front of a jury is a completely different experience. Make sure your attorney has this experience.