Nick Silverthorn, 48, purchased a Sainsbury’s own brand razor from his local store but when he used it for the first time he says it cut his cheeks and left blood ‘streaming down his face’
A man who suffered cuts that left blood ‘streaming down his face’ while shaving has been awarded £5,000 in compensation from one of the world’s largest razor companies.
Nick Silverthorn, 48, bought a Sainsbury’s own brand razor from his local store. However, after using it for the first time, he ended up with cuts on both cheeks. He found that one of the razor blades was detached and suspected the razor was defective.
Instead of dismissing his injuries as a mere mishap, he decided to take legal action against the razor manufacturer. Astonishingly, he received an out-of-court settlement from one of the world’s largest razor companies – Wilkinson Sword.
“This was no ordinary shaving cut. It sliced my skin,” said Nick, from London.. My cuts bled for over twenty minutes. I took action to protect others as they may not be as lucky as me. This was a serious fault. It was a matter of principle to take the big boys on and I did and won.”
Wanting to look fresh for his family over the festive period following a few days of overindulgence, he purchased a £2.50 Men Advance 3 razor from his local Sainsbury’s store in Richmond, London. But when he started shaving on Boxing Day 2023, he cut his face.
“I put on the hot tap and my shaving lotion and I was on autopilot. I started shaving on one side with one stroke and then another stroke on the other side,” added Nick. ”I noticed after a few seconds that I had started bleeding badly on my left cheek and then on my right hand side as well and before I knew, it was streaming down my face.”
Unlike previous times when he had cut his face shaving, this felt completely different, he said. Nick added: “It just kept coming. Due to the wounds being on my face it took me nearly half an hour dabbing with tissues before the blood finally stopped pumping out of the cuts.”
He inspected the razor and saw that one of the blades was detached in the razor head. Nick, who works part-time as a landscape gardener, said: “When I saw the blade hanging out I thought that could have done some real damage. It wasn’t just an everyday nick or cut I had been given. It had sliced into my skin. I had been shaving for thirty years and never had cuts like this.”
Quick-thinking Nick got relatives to take pictures of the cuts on his face and also preserved the razor, box and receipt as evidence. His wounds took weeks to heal properly, leaving him with scars on his cheek. The trauma of being cut led to him having recurring nightmares for months afterwards.
He said: “I had had a bad experience with operations and blood in the past and it took me straight back and I kept seeing blood on my face in my dreams. It was a bad time for me.”
Instead of throwing away the faulty razor, Nick contacted product liability specialists at Express Solicitors. They reached out to Sainsbury’s, who directed them to the manufacturer of their own brand product – razor giant Wilkinson Sword. The brand chiefs then sent the razor for testing and a month later offered to settle his claim for £5,000 without admitting any liability.
Product liability expert Jack Klein of Express Solicitors, who resolved the case in ten months on behalf of Nick, said: “Not many people who cut themselves shaving would think to sue one of the World’s biggest razor companies. But Nick did and by keeping the razor as proof he won a settlement. It just shows that if you are injured by any product there may be a valid claim no matter how big the company are.”
Sainsbury’s and Wilkinson Sword have been contacted for comment.
