'BATMAN LAWYER' RIDES TO THE RESCUE: STEVE DIMOPOULOS TAKES ON GUT-WRENCHING CASE OF BELOVED VEGAS JIU-JITSU TEACHER MOWED DOWN BY 18-WHEELER
Aug. 14 2026, Published 5:08 p.m. ET
David Howard spent his life teaching Las Vegas kids courage on the mat. Now, more than two months after a semi-truck ran him over on his e-bike, he can't eat, can't speak — and his friend, the attorney known as the "Batman Lawyer," has picked up the fight for him
For years, David Howard was the guy on the mat teaching Las Vegas kids how to fall down and get back up. Now he's the one fighting to get back up — and he can't do it alone.
The beloved jiu-jitsu instructor was riding his electric bicycle when a semi-truck making a left turn allegedly cut across multiple lanes of traffic, plowed straight into him, and didn't come to a stop until it had rolled an estimated 113 feet past the point of impact. One eyewitness told authorities the truck's massive wheels rolled directly over Howard's chest.
That he survived at all, his attorney says, borders on the miraculous.
"Given the violence of the impact and the severity of his injuries, it is nothing short of a miracle that David is alive," said Steve Dimopoulos, the Las Vegas litigator known across Nevada as the "Batman Lawyer" — and, as it turns out, a longtime friend of Howard's. "It's so sad," he added. More than two months after the crash, Howard remains in inpatient rehabilitation, continues to have significant difficulty speaking, and remains dependent on a feeding tube for nutrition.
Dimopoulos Law Firm has now been retained to represent Howard in a lawsuit filed July 13, 2026, in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, Nevada, against Parke Cox Trucking Co. Inc. and the driver behind the wheel. The defendants are represented by Cory Jeffers of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith.
A HERO ON THE MAT, FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE OFF IT
Around Las Vegas, Howard isn't just known — he's beloved. For years he's taught jiu-jitsu to local kids, and those who know him describe a teacher who led with, in the firm's words, "extraordinary empathy, patience, and compassion," turning a combat sport into a lesson in confidence, discipline, resilience and respect for an entire generation of students.
That's what makes the aftermath of the crash so devastating. Howard suffered a traumatic brain injury and severe trauma to his cervical spine that required surgical fusion and permanent hardware. His injuries were so severe he went into respiratory failure, requiring intubation and a mechanical ventilator just to breathe. Unable to safely swallow, he later needed a PEG feeding tube just to get nutrition into his body.
More than two months later, Howard is still fighting from inside a rehabilitation facility. He can't eat solid food. He's still dependent on that feeding tube. He still struggles significantly just to speak. The man who once talked kids through their fears on the mat now faces what his legal team calls an extensive and uncertain road back.
THE EVIDENCE: A DASHCAM THAT SAW IT ALL
Here's where the case takes a turn straight out of a courtroom drama: the truck involved was equipped with a synchronized dashcam system, capturing footage from inside the cab and of the road ahead — simultaneously. According to the lawsuit, that footage shows Howard directly in the truck's path at the moment of impact, while the driver was looking out his left-side window, away from the road in front of him.
It's the kind of detail that could make or break a case — and it's now at the center of one of the more closely watched personal injury fights in Las Vegas.
ENTER THE BATMAN LAWYER
If the name Steve Dimopoulos sounds familiar, it might be because of the cape. Dimopoulos earned his "Batman Lawyer" nickname the old-fashioned way — a reputation for taking on powerful, deep-pocketed defendants, a well-known streak of local philanthropy, and roots in Las Vegas that run deep. He leaned all the way into the persona, starring in a Batman-themed commercial that aired during the 2025 Super Bowl broadcast in the Las Vegas market.
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He's also been on a run. Dimopoulos Law Firm recently landed a multimillion-dollar settlement on behalf of roughly 35,000 Formula 1 fans whose experience was blown up when the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix's practice session went sideways.
But friends say this case hits differently. This time, the client isn't a stranger or a fan base — he's a friend Dimopoulos has known for years, now fighting to relearn how to eat and speak.
Dimopoulos Law Firm, founded and led by Steve Dimopoulos, maintains offices in Las Vegas and Phoenix and handles complex litigation, class actions, catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases nationwide.
As Howard continues his recovery, the message from his corner is simple: the man who spent his career teaching others how to get back up now has someone in his corner fighting to help him do the same.
