Widely regarded as a generous and caring person whose faith keeps her grounded, Rene A. Tomlinson is the first to feel compelled to stand up whenever necessary to be the voice of individuals who have been wronged. Holding a Bachelor of Science in business management, marketing, and related support services from the University of Phoenix, coupled with being expertly versed in legal proceedings concerning property, Ms. Tomlinson applies her people-first approach daily as a claims litigation professional with the Florida-based Kin Interinsurance Network and as a litigation adjuster with Kin Insurance Technology Hub, LLC.
At any given time, Ms. Tomlinson handles about 100 to 120 litigated claims as a litigation adjuster. She meets with the defense counsel selected by Kin to discuss the case, identify strengths and weaknesses of the claim, determine and collaborate on a strategy and next steps, guide the attorney on whether to file a motion for an extension of time to negotiate informally when choosing to settle or to defend and take the case to trial, plus review and approve documents before filing them with the court. Ms. Tomlinson, a member of the Jacksonville Claims Association, has been handling litigated claims since 2011 when she was a claims representative at State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company in Jacksonville, Florida, assigned specifically to bodily injury claims in the auto department.
Ms. Tomlinson began her career with catastrophe claims for property damage and received her training from State Farm, which, she says, is known for providing the best training in the claims industry. Later, she worked as a triage specialist team lead at Citizens Property Insurance Corporation in Jacksonville, where they handled only liability and property claims for Florida. Her main responsibilities included reviewing incoming lawsuits and making recommendations on whether to settle, conduct more discovery, or take the case to trial. During this stint, Ms. Tomlinson was promoted to manager and then quickly to litigation manager, overseeing litigation adjusters specializing in water leak claims. Very early in her insurance career, in 2004, when four major hurricanes hit Florida, she volunteered to help with catastrophe relief efforts when she was a corporate employee of State Farm located in Bloomington, Illinois. She found that she loved Florida so much that she permanently relocated there.
Ms. Tomlinson gratefully recounts one of her most notable career achievements and opportunities as being chosen to speak at the high-level litigation conference held by the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, addressing a diverse audience consisting of adjusters, a litigation management team, a leadership team, and in-house counsel. She gives credit for her accomplishments to her networking skills and the guidance of her mentors, John Fouert, a corporate executive at State Farm who helped her get to Florida and motivated her to move forward with her career; and Lisa Walker, a litigation director at Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Additionally, Ms. Tomlinson attributes her success to her need to enjoy life as well as work. A self-described “foodie,” she likes to cook and entertain guests. She also is a gardening and landscaping enthusiast.
