I have been mtn biking since '91, riding in Fl, NC and Ohio till I moved to Colorado in '01. I rode with toeclips and straps till I got out here, and the technical challenges on the CO trails helped me decide to go with clipless pedals, first with an inexpensive set of Ritcheys, now running Crank Bros, Candys.
I can not contemplate riding w/o them.
Yes, there is a learning curve, as with all things new, but once past that, they provide improved control, power and ability to clean rocks, roots and other technical challenges.
No way I would ride just platforms for the type of riding that I do.
BTW, I have over 2000 trail miles on clipless pedals, and the pedals have NEVER been the cause or did they add to injury of any of my crashes.