Man gets £5,000 in compensation after cutting himself while shaving

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 - A man who sued a razor company after cutting himself while shaving with one of their products has been handed £5,000 in compensation. 

Nick Silverthorn, 48, from London, bought himself a new razor during the Christmas holidays. 
He said he visited his local Sainsbury’s in Richmond to buy a £2.50 Wilkinson Sword Men Advance 3 razor. 

But when Mr Silverthorn unwrapped his purchase and began shaving on Boxing Day, he started "bleeding badly." 

He said: "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. 

"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." 

Nick, who has been shaving for decades, said these felt different from the usual cuts suffered while shaving. 

The gardener even suffered nightmares for months following the incident. 
He said: "I 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." 

After inspecting the razor, the landscape gardener found that one its blades was detached. 

Mr Silverthorn decided to sue the razor manufacturer after the wounds took weeks to heal and left him with scars. 

He quickly took pictures of his bleeding face and made sure to keep the razor, box and receipt. 
He reached out to product liability specialists Express Solicitors, who contacted Sainsbury’s and were referred to Wilkinson Sword. 

After sending the product for tests, the razor-producing giant offered to settle with Mr Silverthorn for £5,000. 

Silverthorn said: "This was no ordinary shaving cut. It sliced my skin. 
"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." 
Jack Evans, the product liability expert who settled the case, added: "Not many people who cut themselves shaving would think to sue one of the World’s biggest razor companies.