The Family She Loved
Denita’s only daughter, Deniquah, was 37. Denita remembers her as loving, fashionable, a great cook, and a mother who always wanted to be with her children.
Her grandson Dex was 6 and dreamed big about sports. He had a touchdown dance he promised his grandmother he would do for her. Dior was 4 and loved cars so much that he could spot an older model from a distance and tell his grandmother whether it was “old school” or “new school.”
Denita’s granddaughter Demi was 9. She would become the only survivor of the crash and, in the months that followed, Denita would become her legal guardian.
“The joy will never die. The loneliness and the heartache, it’s every day.”
The Night Everything Changed
On August 29, 2025, Deniquah finished work, picked up her children, and taken them to a football game. On the way home, they were stopped at a red light when another vehicle struck them at high speed.
Denita said she was told the impact happened so quickly that her family likely never saw it coming. Deniquah, Dex, and Dior died that night. Demi survived.
Denita was working at a local hospital when a manager quietly took her by the hand and led her to a private area. Police officers who had been at the crash scene were waiting there to tell her what had happened.
“I would say it was probably the biggest shock of my life.”
“There Is One Survivor”
Denita said the words that kept her going in that moment were the officer telling her there was one survivor – her granddaughter – and that Demi needed her.
Demi had suffered a broken leg, a fractured arm, and significant pain. She was also grieving the loss of her mother and brothers. Denita placed her in grief therapy and began taking life one day at a time, providing as much love, support, laughter, and stability as she could.
The two needed each other. Denita was suddenly grieving her only daughter and two grandchildren while also becoming responsible for helping a 9-year-old child heal physically and emotionally.
“There is one survivor, and it’s your granddaughter, and she needs you.”
Trying to Hold Everything Together
In the first days after the crash, Denita’s worries were immediate and practical as well as emotional. She had three loved ones to bury and did not know how she would pay for the funerals.
She was also worried about what would happen to Demi and how she would manage the responsibilities ahead. Denita tried to return to work but said she did not have the mental ability to keep working. Vacation time, PTO, and FMLA were eventually exhausted as the financial pressure grew.
At the same time, Demi needed ongoing medical care, including imaging, doctor visits, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
“Where are we going to get the money to bury them?”
Realizing She Needed Legal Help
Denita said she had never considered herself the type of person who sues. In these circumstances, however, she felt pursuing legal help was necessary for justice and for her family’s future.
After speaking with the detective handling the crash and realizing there were records and information she could not obtain on her own, Denita knew she needed counsel.
A friend connected her with a retired judge. After speaking with Denita, the retired judge asked whether she would meet with Buckfire Law because he knew attorneys he believed could help.
“I had to sit down and really think: what are you going to do? You have to handle this.”
From Fear to Feeling Like Family
Denita was nervous when she first met with her attorney at Buckfire Law. She had just lost her family, did not know who to trust, and wondered whether she was making the right decision.
That changed as she spoke with the team. Denita remembers an attorney showing genuine compassion for what she and Demi were experiencing. She said the firm made her feel as though she and her granddaughter had become part of a family that would take care of them.
She also did not have money to pay a lawyer upfront. Buckfire Law took the case without requiring her to put money down, which allowed Denita to move forward without adding another immediate financial burden.
“They weren’t just a law firm. Buckfire Law was a law firm, a friend, and family at the time of my need.”
Letting Buckfire Carry the Burden
Denita said the communication was consistent from the beginning. Calls came regularly – sometimes daily at first and later weekly – not only with case questions but simply to check on how she was eating, sleeping, and coping.
The team told her to rest, take care of herself, and let them do the work with her permission. For Denita, that meant she did not have to chase records, manage every phone call, or figure out the legal process while trying to care for Demi and grieve her family.
She said Buckfire also helped ensure Demi could continue receiving medical care and that available bills and compensation were addressed, rather than forcing Denita to choose between treatment and what she could afford.
“Let us do the work. We don’t want you to worry.”
Results Sooner Than She Expected
Denita was told early on that the legal process could take as long as one or two years. She therefore did not expect meaningful financial results quickly.
Instead, she said Buckfire called within roughly nine to ten months to tell her that compensation had been secured. The timing mattered because Denita had been unable to work consistently and the family was under serious financial pressure.
Denita said the firm ultimately obtained the available liability compensation through negotiations with the insurance companies.
“It was everything we needed at the time.”
A Little More Security for the Future
The money could not change what happened, and Denita said the pain would always remain. But the financial relief reduced one of the burdens she was carrying as a grandmother in her 50s suddenly raising a 9-year-old child.
Denita said Buckfire Law also offered guidance after the recovery about ways to manage and protect the money for the future. To her, that mattered because the goal was not simply to receive compensation, but to build stability for herself and Demi over time.
She described the support helped her start rebuilding without the constant fear of medical bills, lost income, and the financial uncertainty that followed the crash.
“The pain is still there. It will always be there. But when you have something to deal with your pain, it does make a difference.”
Starting Life Over Again
Denita still lives with the loss every day. She talks openly about loneliness and heartache, but also about the joy she feels remembering her daughter and grandchildren and the faith that continues to carry her forward.
She is now raising Demi and describes herself as a grandmother starting life over again. The future is different from anything she expected, but Denita is focused on giving her granddaughter love, structure, support, and a chance to move forward.
Looking back, she said she is grateful she allowed Buckfire Law to help because the firm handled what she couldn’t handle on her own and helped create stability during the most difficult period of her life.
“I’m a 54-year-old grandmother, just starting over, just starting life all over again.”
