Widow of city worker who died sues 3 companies

The widow of a city of Springfield employee who died in a March 2025 incident at Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill has filed suit against three companies for their alleged roles in the incident.

Plaintiff Lori Flett’s Jan. 27 petition filed in Greene County Circuit Court names Caterpillar Inc., Fabick Bros. Equipment Co., dba Fabick Cat, and Pomp’s Tire Service Inc. as defendants. The city of Springfield is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Springfield Business Journal is seeking comment from the companies named in the suit.

Larry Flett was killed when a dump truck he was driving overturned and caught fire, according to past SBJ reporting. He worked as a solid waste operations associate at the landfill for nearly two years and previously served as a Springfield police officer from 1989 to 1998. 

The lawsuit alleges the Caterpillar dump truck involved in the incident was defectively designed and not crashworthy.

Allegations against Fabick include claims that the company failed to provide warnings about alleged defects, failed to provide or recommend available safety technologies and failed to properly train city of Springfield employees to operate the equipment, according to the petition.

The lawsuit also alleges tire service performed by Pomp’s Tire Service three days before the incident allowed a tire to be operated in a defective condition. Unnamed Pomp’s employees also are listed as defendants in the filing.

Flett is seeking damages for conscious pain and suffering prior to her husband’s death, loss of companionship and support, funeral expenses and other statutory damages, according to the lawsuit.