“Hey! I’m on the promoter team for X business, and we think you are a perfect fit for our ambassador program.” Messages like this and many others are a common tactic that fake brands and scammers use to trick people. Some may think this will only happen to people with large followings, but that’s not always true. Even your child may receive direct messages or comments on photos from scammers who want to take advantage of their naivete. HOW TO SPOT FAKE ONLINE INFLUENCERS IS THIS A REAL BRAND?
THE SCIENCE BEHIND PEDESTRIAN COLLISIONS
What to Do if You’re Struck While Walking
As May rolls into June and spring turns into summer, many children and adults will be out and about in Fort Worth. This means more foot traffic in places like parking lots, busy intersections, or rural areas as kids travel with their friends. Unfortunately, as much as we’d like to believe we’re safe to walk in parking lots or crosswalks, the truth is that careless drivers can hit pedestrians anywhere, and no place near cars is entirely safe.
So, what should you do if a vehicle strikes you, your child, or a loved one while walking?
Call for help! Before you do anything else, call 911 right away. You’ll need the police to take your statement and an ambulance to examine your injuries. Injuries are typically more severe in accidents involving pedestrians than in a car crash. Even cars traveling at a low speed in a parking lot can result in broken bones.
So, how do you spot these fake brands and influencers?
When you first look at the individual and the company’s business social media accounts, everything may seem genuine at first. However, the major difference between fake and real influencers and companies is that fake brands will have unauthentic accounts and bots — meaning their audience isn’t even real. The first way to determine if an account is fake is if you notice a comment on one of your pictures saying, “Can you DM us?” If a brand wants to work with you or your child, they will reach out to you directly, not the other way around. If a “company” posts a comment, it’s most likely a bot that sent an automated message after it flagged a specific hashtag or word. If you receive a message from someone saying they are from a particular company, be cautious before accepting their proposal. If the company isn’t messaging you from its main account, it’s most likely a scam. An example of these messages was shown at the beginning of this article. Additionally, since this should be a professional business proposal, if the message includes emojis, it’s another sign that the account is probably a bot. Furthermore, proceed cautiously if the account asks you to buy their product first or offers an ambassadorship immediately. This is an easy way for scammers to steal your hard-earned money. If a brand wants you to try their products, ensure that it’s in writing that they will give it to you for free or reimburse you. While it’s exciting that a brand wants to work with you or your child, please research and ensure the company is real before accepting any partnership. Trusting your gut and taking preventive measures will go a long way.
To put this into perspective, we’ll use math and science.
It takes about 4,000 N, or newtons, to break a human femur, which is about 899 pounds of pressure. So, if a car going just 30 mph strikes a 150-pound person, that collision exerts roughly 153 thousand newtons. To the human body, that feels like pressure from a mass of 34.5 thousand pounds — enough to break every bone in your body.
All that is to say, it’s always best to have a medical professional evaluate your health after a vehicle hits you, even if you think you feel fine.
Contact a qualified Fort Worth pedestrian collision attorney. This step is essential because time is short for pedestrian collision cases in Texas. According to Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003, injured pedestrians must file a claim within two years of the accident.
If the injured individual does not file their claim within that window, they may be unable to receive compensation for their injuries.
Once you hire an experienced attorney, they can help collect evidence for your case, including photographs, video footage, witness statements, and the official police report.
So, if you or someone you know has been struck by a vehicle while walking, call our team of experienced attorneys at 817.775.5364 .
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