Leawood, Kan. – February 19, 2026: Randall L. Rhodes and Rachel N. Boden, litigation attorneys with Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes, P.C., filed a significant lawsuit in Green County, Missouri on behalf of the widow of a Springfield man who died in a fire after the cab of the Caterpillar articulating dump truck that he was operating overturned. The man, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Springfield police officer who was working in solid waste operations for the city, was wearing his seatbelt and survived the wreck. However, his cause of death was determined to be from smoke inhalation and burns.
Along with co-counsel, Randy and Rachel have led the role in an investigation and reconstruction of the incident, which revealed that three days prior, the Caterpillar was negligently serviced, causing the loss of control that led to the rollover and fire. This important case addresses product safety with heavy equipment, crashworthiness, and post-collision, fuel-fed fire issues that impact worker safety. The lawsuit alleges liability and negligence by Caterpillar, liability and negligence by the company that sold the dump truck, and negligence by the company that serviced the dump truck and by five of its employees. The lawsuit also seeks significant damages on behalf of the man’s widow; they had been married for 43 years.
The lawsuit was recently covered in the Springfield News-Leader.
About Randall L. Rhodes: Randy is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer who has successfully represented individuals, families and corporate entities in a wide range of litigation in state and federal courts across the United States. He focuses on significant select cases on behalf of plaintiffs in catastrophic liability, wrongful death, negligence and commercial litigation. Randy is one of only a few trial lawyers in the United States with multiple seven-, eight-, and nine-figure verdicts and judgments.
About Rachel N. Boden: Rachel is a personal injury trial lawyer who represents individuals who have been severely injured or otherwise suffered a catastrophic loss, including representing both clients who have sustained injuries and surviving family members in wrongful death cases. She has successfully represented clients and obtained numerous seven and eight figure settlements and favorable verdicts in a wide variety of cases, including but not limited to defective products, heavy truck collisions, automobile and motorcycle collisions.
About the Firm’s Litigation Practice Group: The firm’s litigation attorneys have more than 250 years of combined trial and appellate court experience, including business-to-business cases, individual and business cases, simple two-party disputes, and complex class action cases. The Litigation practice group has collective experience in more than 40 states and in eight federal circuits, including more than 500 bench and jury trials.
About the Law Firm: Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes, P.C. offers sophisticated representation in both the private and public sectors. Our clients benefit from blue-ribbon talent unencumbered by mega firm business models.
Choice of an attorney is an important decision and should not be based solely upon a website or advertisements. In reviewing achievements by the law firm or its attorneys, remember that past results afford no guarantee of future results; each matter is different and must be judged on its own merits. Although our lawyers may practice in subject areas, neither the Supreme Court of Missouri nor The Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialty designations for Missouri licensed attorneys.