David Howard spent his days teaching jiu-jitsu to children around Las Vegas until a semi-truck making a left turn allegedly rolled over him on his electric bicycle, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury, a shattered cervical spine, and months of relearning how to breathe, swallow and speak. More than two months after the crash, Howard remained in inpatient rehabilitation, still unable to eat solid food or talk without significant difficulty.
Howard filed a lawsuit on July 13 in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, Nevada, naming both the truck driver and Parke Cox Trucking Co. Inc. as defendants, according to RadarOnline. High-profile Las Vegas attorney Steve Dimopoulos, known locally as the ‘Batman Lawyer’ for his ubiquitous ‘WE WIN’ billboards and a Batman-themed commercial that aired during a 2025 broadcast, was retained to represent Howard the same day the suit was filed. Dimopoulos called Howard’s survival a miracle.
The lawsuit alleges the semi-truck crossed multiple lanes of traffic while turning left, cutting directly into Howard’s path. Court filings claim the driver was looking out the left-side window, away from the road, at the moment of impact, and that the truck’s own synchronized dashcam system — which captured footage from inside the cab and of the road ahead simultaneously — showed Howard directly in the vehicle’s path when it struck him. The truck reportedly continued an estimated 113 feet past the point of impact before stopping, and an eyewitness told authorities the truck’s wheels rolled over Howard’s chest.
Catastrophic Injuries and a Long Road to Recovery
Howard suffered severe cervical-spine trauma requiring surgical fusion with permanent hardware, along with a traumatic brain injury and respiratory failure that required intubation and a mechanical ventilator. He now depends on a PEG feeding tube for nutrition because he cannot safely swallow. More than two months after the crash, per the same account, he remained hospitalized and continued to struggle to speak.
What Nevada Law Says About Left Turns and E-Bikes
Nevada traffic law places a strict duty on drivers making left turns. Under Nevada Revised Statutes Section 484B.253, according to Justia Law, any driver turning left within an intersection or onto a driveway must yield the right-of-way to an approaching vehicle or cyclist close enough to constitute an immediate hazard. Nevada law also grants electric bicycle riders the same roadway rights and duties as motor-vehicle drivers under NRS 484B.763 and NRS 484B.777, meaning Howard held full legal standing to share the road, as outlined by Koch & Brim…