I totally understand why you're feeling frustrated—this situation sounds really stressful. From what you’ve described, it looks like the other person's insurance is trying to recover their costs because your liability insurance limits weren't enough to cover the total damages.
Here’s a general breakdown of what might be happening:
Insurance Limits: Your
liability insurance covers up to $15,000 for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage. Since your total repair cost was $13,000 and the other party's insurance covered $12,000, it seems like their claim amount exceeded your policy limits.
Balance Owed: If the total amount of damage exceeded your insurance limits and the other insurance company paid more than what your policy covered, they might be trying to recover that additional amount from you. This can happen when the damages exceed your coverage limits.
Responsibility: Legally, if the damages exceed your coverage limits, you might be personally responsible for the excess amount. It's not necessarily the other insurance company trying to "make up their loss" but rather following standard procedures to recoup the amount they paid out over your policy limit.
Next Steps: I’d recommend reaching out to your insurance company for clarification and assistance. They might be able to help negotiate or provide guidance on handling this situation. You may also want to consider consulting with a legal professional who can offer advice specific to your situation and jurisdiction.
I hope this helps clear things up a bit. Hang in there and try to get some expert advice to navigate this.