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🗞️ Fatal Lion Farms Crash Exposes Systemic Transportation Safety Violations in California Agriculture

A federal court ordered Lion Farms LLC to pay $128,899 in penalties and back wages following a February 2024 crash that killed seven farmworkers.

onthelaborfront

onthelaborfront

— 3 min read
🗞️ Fatal Lion Farms Crash Exposes Systemic Transportation Safety Violations in California Agriculture

On February 23, 2024, a 2001 GMC Safari van carrying eight Mexican immigrant farmworkers from Kerman to Lion Farms' Madera County worksite collided head-on with a pickup truck on Avenue 7. Seven workers and the other vehicle's driver were killed; one farmworker survived. California Highway Patrol investigators found six passengers were not wearing seatbelts and two were ejected from the vehicle.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division launched an investigation and determined Lion Farms and its owners—Alfred, Bruce, and Daniel Lion—violated the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA). Investigators found a supervisor knowingly instructed an unlicensed driver to transport the workers, the van lacked minimum liability insurance coverage, and the company charged workers $13 daily for the unsafe transportation. The investigation also uncovered wage violations, including failure to pay workers when due and omission of required information on wage statements.

Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer filed a federal lawsuit in March 2025, approximately one year after the crash. The lawsuit sought to prevent Lion Farms from continuing to endanger agricultural workers through unsafe transportation practices. In August 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California entered a consent judgment requiring Lion Farms to pay $39,013 in back wages to 12 employees and $89,886 in civil money penalties—totaling $128,899.

The case highlights persistent dangers facing farmworkers during transportation to and from job sites. Federal workplace safety data shows that between 2015 and 2022 in California, 58% of agricultural workers who died on the job were killed in transportation incidents, compared with 47% nationwide. The tragedy also underscores challenges in enforcing MSPA requirements, which mandate proper licensing, vehicle safety standards, adequate insurance, and prohibit charging workers for transportation when safety violations exist.

Lion Farms cultivates approximately 871 acres of grapes for raisins in Fresno and Madera counties, selling their products to Lion Raisins Inc. and other packing houses for nationwide distribution. Separately, families of the deceased workers filed a civil lawsuit seeking $20 million in damages. That case revealed the supervisor allegedly operated about 10 vehicles purchased "as-is" for $1,500-$2,500 cash and registered them under false names to avoid liability. In its defense, Lion Farms claimed 100% of negligence rested with the workers for failing to wear available seatbelts.

Key Points

  • Incident: February 23, 2024 crash killed seven Mexican immigrant farmworkers and one other driver near Madera, California
  • Violations: Unlicensed driver, unsafe vehicle, inadequate insurance, illegal transportation fees, wage violations
  • Penalties: $39,013 back wages + $89,886 civil penalties = $128,899.50 total
  • Legal Framework: Violations of Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA)
  • Safety Failures: Six of eight workers not wearing seatbelts; supervisor knowingly used unlicensed driver
  • Broader Context: 58% of California agricultural worker deaths (2015-2022) involved transportation incidents
  • Settlement: Consent judgment entered August 26, 2025 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • Additional Litigation: Families filed separate civil lawsuit seeking $20 million in damages

Primary Source Author: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

Primary Source: Federal court orders California agricultural employer to comply with law after crash kills 7, injures another during transportation to worksite

Primary Source Link: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20260106-0

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