Cutty's rule of thumb.

If you have a deductible on your insurance, you should have that much $$ available to pay said deductible to get your shitz fixed when it gets fucked up.

True story.

Shitty part is that she lives across the street at a battered women's shelter. Obviously doesn't have much, if any, income so it wouldn't even be worth it to fight.

You won't get it. Don't bother. Same thing happened to my wife. Some scum bag with a suspended license, no job was driving someone else's car with no insurance and hit her from behind. Brand spanking new 2009 Honda Accord. Our insurance company went after him but determined he has no money, will not have any money in the near future. It came out of our pocket to fix the car.

My sister delt with something like that too.
Uninsured motorist hit her.
In the end, her insurance paid for the damages (less the deductible) and he went to jail.