Rhonda A. Rudman

Rhonda Rudman is Special Counsel with Thomson, Rhodes & Cowie, P.C.’s workers’ compensation department.  She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Ms. Rudman joined TR&C in 2017.  Prior to that, she was a Senior Partner at a Pittsburgh law firm representing employers and insurance carriers in all aspects of Pennsylvania workers’ compensation.  This included managing various firm accounts and educating clients on the nuances and changes in the workers’ compensation law.  Ms. Rudman is a current member and also served as the past chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Section.

Ms. Rudman has 29 years of experience as a workers’ compensation attorney.  She is often called to litigate more challenging cases involving fatal claim petitions, course of employment litigation, retirement litigation and employer offsets.  She has experience in submitting Medicare set-aside proposals and has litigated Federal Black Lung claims.  She is a frequent speaker for both industry groups and other attorneys, speaking throughout Pennsylvania as well as in Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; and West Virginia.  Most recently, Ms. Rudman spoke on “Advanced Topics in Workers’ Compensation” for NBI, Inc., on February 11, 2020, in Pittsburgh, PA.

Ms. Rudman is admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and Pennsylvania Supreme Court, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  During her career, Ms. Rudman has participated in several landmark appellate cases, most notably:

Superior Lawn Care v. WCAB (Hoffer), 878 A.2d 936 (Pa. Commw. 2005), which affirmed the employer’s right to subrogation is absolute;

Montgomery Tank Lines and Protective Insurance Co. v. WCAB (Humphries), 792 A.2d 6 (Pa. Commw. 2002); and

Ralph Greco v. WCAB (Classic Carpet Co.), 625 A.2d 1273 (Pa. Commw. 1993), where the Court agreed with the employer’s position that it was not an abnormal working condition for an owner/manager to work extra shifts.