The death of man working as a supervisor at Hitchen Foods Limited in Ince, Wigan in 2015 was – a jury at Bolton Coroner’s Court has found – accidental.

29 year old Jacek Adamowicz was killed when an unstable 700kg bale of waste plastic fell on him from behind whilst he was sweeping the yard at the factory where he worked. He left behind his wife, Barbara, and a three year old son, Patryk.

No criminal charges have been brought against the employer but the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is still investigating the accident. Jacek’s wife instructed Thompsons Solicitors to represent her at the four day inquest and bring a claim for damages after her husband’s death.

Mrs. Adamowicz, 33, said: “The way I heard about Jacek’s accident was horrific. I found out via a panicked phone call from a friend who also worked for them but wasn’t even on shift at the time.

“We are all devastated that Jacek is gone – he was a loving husband and devoted father. Patryk is still asking for his dad every night and I have told him that his daddy has gone to sleep for a long time but that he still loves him.

“I have been worrying about how we will cope financially, and as Jacek and I used to coordinate shifts in order to look after Patryk, childcare has become a real issue. I can only thank Thompsons for their support, which hopefully will mean I will be able to provide for my son now that Jacek is gone.”

Philip Liptrot, a serious injury solicitor at Thompsons said: “Jacek’s death is a tragedy – he was a young father, and a well-liked member of the community.

“It is shocking that in the 21st century we are still seeing fatal accidents at work. The death of one worker is one too many, but all too often we take on cases like this that could have been prevented by more stringent health and safety checks.

“We only hope that the HSE, despite government’s cuts to their funding, are able to pursue Jacek’s case, so Barbara can feel that some kind of justice is done and lessons are learned.”