Hey law/crime enthusiasts of reddit. I've gotten myself dragged into a pickle because of a problem one of my coworkers created for me, and now me and my parents are left with the consequences. I (19F) am a third year in university, and I've always taken my car as my main way of transportation. Most of my classes are on the opposite side of campus, and considering my work is off campus, I use my car as a commute way of travel very often. It was a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek; a brand new car with the traction of a horse, perfect for navigating the stormy Utah winters. It's not paid off fully yet, since my parents got it for me last year as a congratulations gift for keeping my scholarship. It also had tons of safety features including blind spot detection, cruise controls, lane assistance and pre-warnings that go off before the car detects the collision. Probably the safest car any parent could get for their kid as a first car. I loved this car with every ounce of fiber in my school. Anyways, onto the main story (names used here are not real and only for story-telling purposes):

I work at a popular fast food establishment in my city that I've worked at for 4.5 months. I have a coworker, Tammy (41) that also works with me and is praised on her efficient, fast-paced work. At first, Tammy was sweet to me and helped me with my training for the first couple weeks. I'd say I wasn't friends with Tammy, but I thought we had a stable relationship that I wasn't really able to get with my other coworkers. Tammy also knows I use my car as a main way to commute, and would ask me to pick her up from dentist appointments since she didn't have a car (which I wouldn't mind). Sometime last month, I was working in the front lobby before I see Tammy, storming in in a huff and soaked from the rain since it was a pretty heavy storm that day. Tammy comes up to me in the front and asks if she could borrow my car for an hour, because she need to pick up a medication from a pharmacy, and apparently they're really strict on time. Tammy was pressing this issue for another minute, specifically about that if she wasn't on time, they cant restock the medication that she needs, which I've never herd about before. I grew hesitant and expressed my worry about her driving in the rain, and what if she got in an accident?

At this point she was spewing out whatever she thought that could make me say yes. After a few more minutes of her bargaining, I let her borrow the car because she has driven my car in the past with no issues, and I'd expect a 40-something year old woman to handle herself when she's on the road. She said thank you, took my keys and was off. I cannot word the heavy weight dropped in my stomach after I saw her pull out of the driveway with my car, but I knew that I royally fucked myself over.

Tammy left with the car at 2pm, which I tracked to see how long she'll be out with my car for and It'll give me some control of time. I waited for a couple hours until 5:30pm rolled around, and before this I was texting Tammy to give me updates about the car. When I finally saw her with my car outside the window, I immediately knew something was wrong from the way that the front looked. Even when I saw it for that split second, it wasn't the same car as she left it as. Tammy comes into the front with a deer-headlight stare, and she immediately wastes no time; "*blank*, I am so sorry. There has been an accident, *blank*. I'm so sorry". At that moment I began gaining tunnel vision and immediately went outside to look at the crime scene. The car was borderline totaled with the front frame bending inwards on itself, some parts exposed and my front/passenger doors completely skinned off from the paint, only leaving metal exposure. I didn't think that I'd get anymore livid at the situation as it already was, but Tammy began telling me that a woman hit her at a 4 way intersection and put the blame on her. She didn't even file a police report of any kind and only got the womans contact information. She was Insistent I'd take her side and telling me it wasn't my fault. I told her that I didn't give a shit who's to blame, and that I didn't have a fucking car anymore from something she could've prevented herself. She started getting upset, calling me a bitch for blaming her for something that she didn't cause and "she was the one who ran the light, so why are you acting like I destroyed it?" At that point I checked myself out of the conversation while she was blabbing about her wrist hurting and demanding me for my insurance so she can pay for it.

The ironic thing is that my insurance contacted her two weeks after the accident, and refused to give details revolving her part to shift blame onto the other woman. So it would make sense for her not to give any truthful information if she did cause the accident. Fast forward to yesterday, I got a call from my mom saying that the insurance cannot cover the damages on the car, and that it is non-fixable. The frame bent in a specific way where the console rammed itself into the engine, so matter what angle the car could've been hit at, it had to be hit at its most vital point. I was crying, given told the information that my car would be fine, all my hopes were thrown out the window, and I can forget the eagerness to get back into my car again. At this point, I couldn't forgive Tammy, not after the hole she put me and my parents through. They both saved up for this car for me before college, but because I was stupid and vulnerable enough to think that a 40 year old woman would know better was my first mistake. I got to work and saw Tammy working the headset taking orders, but didn't acknowledge me for awhile. While I was working the front, she comes up to me and asks for my insurance again, but this time for her back injuries. It wasn't her wrist anymore. I called that a load of BS in my head, but told her I'd debate on it. She told me "ok, maybe if I put it this way it would make more sense. I have a lawyer if that insurance isn't given by the end of your shift." I gave her a smug look before telling her ok and walking off. An hour later I'm taking a smoke break outside before I have to finish the rest of my shift. As I exhale a dragons breath from the penjamin, I see Tammy walk outside with her headset still on taking orders. She comes up to me and expresses that she thought we were friends, and that its fucked up that I treat her differently now for something she didn't cause. Thank Buddah for THC, because I would had said some things I definitely wouldn't have taken back. At this point she was yelling and kept going on saying that its devastating, but she could fix my car if she had the chance. I told her to stop yelling and cussing at me like a child, and that yes, it is devastating, I don't have a car anymore. Her face turned wide and gave her final line of "you're fucked up!" before going back inside and taking an order with her normal, bubbly customer service voice. At this point, I'm furious. This is a grown woman with a husband, house and newborn that stirs up drama with college students. I really thought she was a good person at heart, but I was deeply wrong about that. I know I need her drivers license information to give to my insurance, but Tammy refuses to call them back, giving them the truthful story while yelling at me that she needs my insurance, when she can easily contact them herself. I'm unsure if I want to take her to small claims court for the $300 deductible on the Subaru, or if she needs to pay any fines to me for the damages she costs (which were roughly around $10k on the final receipt). I don't want to be dealing with someones selfish, junkie of a wife anymore. Do I give her my insurance? Go after her in court for the money? She cannot walk out free handed in this situation. What should I do?