Golan, Michal O.

A. Tereasa Rerko is a partner at the firm and concentrates her practice in the areas of workers’ compensation and social security disability, exclusively representing injured workers and disabled claimants.

Practicing law since 1984, Ms. Rerko is a member of the Westmoreland, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations and the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. She has consistently been listed in Who’s Who of American Lawyers in every year since 1997.

In 1998, in the case of Fink v. WCAB (Vinal Pride and State Auto Insurance Company), Ms. Rerko convinced the Commonwealth Court, in a workers’ compensation proceeding, that the employer, in order to modify an injured worker’s benefits, must introduce specific evidence that the job offered is within the required geographical distance from the Claimant’s home. Since the employer failed to produce that evidence, the Court found that the job was not “actually available” to the Claimant and denied the employer’s request to reduce our client’s weekly workers’ compensation benefit.

Recently, Attorney Tereasa Rerko was successful in obtaining a Remand of a Social Security Disability case that was appealed to Federal District Court in Pittsburgh. The Court found that the Administrative Law Judge who decided the case did not use the correct standard when evaluating what side effects were caused by the Claimant’s pain medication, and how those side effects impacted the Claimant’s ability to work on a full-time basis. The case will now go back for another hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. The case, Lickenfelt v. Astrue, 2008 WL 2275538 (Western District of Pa.), has been published in the Federal Court Reporter, and in the future will affect other cases with the same issues.

Ms. Rerko was recently involved in the litigation of a long term disability claim in Federal Court, wherein the insurance carrier eventually settled the case just days before going to trial.

Ms. Rerko currently serves on the Board of Directors of accessAbilities, Inc., serving as Vice-President and also chair of the Board  Development Committee. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the accessAblilites Foundation, its sister agency.

Ms. Rerko was involved with the former Girl Scout Council of Westmoreland for more than 17 years. Most recently she served two three-year terms as president of the Board. She has also served as Nominating Committee Chair and Member at Large of the Board. As president, she initiated and finalized the Council’s first strategic planning effort.

Ms. Rerko has also served several terms on the Board of Directors of ParentWise of Westmoreland County. Ms. Rerko has been a member of the Zonta Club of Westmoreland. Zonta is an invitation only International Women’s Organization, whose mission is service to both the local community as well as the world community. She has also been a member of the Executive Women of Westmoreland. This group is a local affiliate of the national Association of Female Executives. She previously served as Chair of the Westmoreland County Commission for Women and Families, and continues to be a member of that organization.

Ms. Rerko received her B.A. in Political Science cum laude from California University of Pennsylvania in 1979 and her J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law in 1984. She lives in Bullskin Township with her husband, Thomas, daughter, Shelby, and son, Patrick.

Ms. Rerko is active in her church, Visitation of the B.V.M in Mt. Pleasant, where she serves as a lector as well as a catechist for the Children’s Liturgy of the Word program.