A man successfully sues a razor company for $6,000 after cutting himself while shaving

A man who cut himself shaving has been paid $6,250 in compensation – by the razor company.

Nick Silverthorn, 48, bought a supermarket own brand razor from his local shop.

But when he got home and used it for the first time, he says he cut both cheeks.

He says he discovered one of the razors had come off and believed the razor was faulty.

So, instead of feeling his cuts with chalk, he decided to sue the razor manufacturer.

And incredibly he was awarded an out of court settlement against one of the world’s biggest razor giants – Wilkinson Sword.

Last night Nick from London said: “This was no ordinary shave. It cut my skin.

“My cuts bled for over twenty minutes. I have taken measures to protect others as they may not be as fortunate as me.

“This was a serious fault. It was a matter of principle to take on the big boys and I did it and won.”

Nick wanted to look fresh as he visited his relatives over the festive period after a few days of over-indulgence.

So he visited his local Sainsbury’s store in Richmond, London and bought a $3 Men Advance 3 razor.

But when he opened it and started shaving on Boxing Day 2023, he cut his face.

Nick added: “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 on my left cheek and then on my right side and before I knew it, it was running down my face.”

Unlike previous times when he had cut his face shaving, he says it felt completely different.

Nick added: “It just kept coming. Because of the wounds on my face, it took me almost half an hour of soaking with a handkerchief before the blood finally stopped pumping from the cuts.”

He said he inspected the razor and saw that one of the blades had come off at the head of the razor.

Nick – a part-time gardener – added: “When I saw the blade hanging I thought it could have done some real damage.

“It wasn’t just a nickname or an everyday cut that they gave me. It was cut into my skin. I had been shaving for thirty years and never had a cut like this.”

Quick-thinking Nick had relatives take pictures of the cuts on his face and also kept the razor, box and receipt as evidence.

Nick’s wounds took several weeks to heal properly leaving him with scars on his cheeks.

And he said the trauma of the cut caused him to have recurring nightmares for months afterwards.

He added: “I’ve had a bad experience with surgeries and blood in the past and it set me right back and I kept seeing blood on my face in my dreams. It was a bad time for me.”

So, rather than fixing the faulty razor, Nick contacted product liability specialists Express Solicitors.

They contacted Sainsbury’s who referred them to the manufacturer of their brand product – razor giant Wilkinson Sword.

Brand bosses then sent the razor off for tests and a month later offered to settle his claim for $6,250 without admitting liability.

Product liability expert Jack Klein of Express Solicitors – who settled the case in ten months on Nick’s behalf said: ‘Not many people who shave themselves would consider suing one of the world’s biggest razor companies.

“But Nick did, and by holding the razor as evidence he won a settlement. It just goes to show that if you’re injured by a product, there can be a valid claim, no matter how big the company is.”

Sainsbury’s and Wilkinson Sword have been contacted for comment.