Philadelphia personal injury attorney Thomas Bosworth, 37, known to his 327,000 TikTok followers as “Tommy The Lawyer,” faces simple assault and harassment charges following an alleged domestic violence incident on the Cynwyd Heritage Trail in Lower Merion Township on September 3.
Assault Allegations on the Cynwyd Heritage Trail
According to the affidavit of probable cause, four witnesses reported seeing Bosworth choke his girlfriend and throw her into bushes along the walking path behind Union Avenue in Bala Cynwyd. Witnesses stated the woman slapped Bosworth and threw rocks at him while on the ground. Responding officers observed “redness on her cheeks and discoloration of the skin around her neck,” the document states. Both parties declined to speak further with police; the woman initially told officers she had fallen.
The assault allegedly occurred in front of the couple’s newborn daughter, who was in a stroller. Witnesses told police they overheard the couple arguing about Bosworth’s alleged infidelity, and the dispute escalated when the woman mentioned a text thread from his secretary that he had deleted.
Bosworth, a Gladwyne resident, was released on $15,000 unsecured bail. He did not respond to requests for comment. His attorney, Michael van der Veen, issued a statement: “is presumed innocent, maintains his innocence and has full confidence in the courts.”
Rise to Prominence and Social Media Presence
Bosworth gained national attention in 2022 when, as a 33-year-old attorney at Kline & Specter, he won a $19.7 million medical malpractice verdict. Since then, he has launched his own firm and built a substantial TikTok following by offering consumer advice from a personal injury perspective and analyzing high-profile lawsuits.
History of Professional Controversies
The arrest adds to a pattern of scrutiny surrounding Bosworth’s professional conduct:
- Kline & Specter dispute: His 2022 departure sparked litigation over alleged client poaching and defamation claims. Though a 2024 settlement was reached, both sides have returned to court alleging violations.
- Penn Medicine jury pool challenge (2023): The health system sought to stop Bosworth from posting about a pending malpractice case, claiming he misrepresented facts and “poisoned” potential jurors. The judge ruled in Bosworth’s favor.
- Federal sanctions (2023): A federal judge sanctioned Bosworth for “misconduct” during four expert depositions in a product liability case, describing his behavior toward a female defense attorney as “rude, demeaning, and obnoxious.”
- Superior Court admonishment (2024): The Pennsylvania Superior Court upheld the $19.7 million verdict but called Bosworth’s courtroom conduct “deplorable,” citing repeated disregard for a Common Pleas judge’s instructions in an apparent attempt to inflame the jury.
Less than two weeks after the alleged assault, Bosworth posted on LinkedIn about the verdict being upheld without mentioning the court’s criticism. “The courtroom is one of the only places left in our democracy where the everyday person can hold to task wrongdoers, no matter how rich powerful,” he wrote.
Upcoming Court Proceedings
Bosworth is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the assault charges on October 6.
