Your post gives me bad flashbacks.
Tell your friend to start eviction proceedings with an off-the-record apology to the tenant that shifts the responsibility to elsewhere. Say the insurance company or the big bad bank requires her by contract to start the process at a specific stage of tenant arrears. The old goodcop-badcop routine.
There is probably no “car wreck settlement” at all (95% certain), and if there is, the tenant will spend it on anything but the back rent (99.99% certain).
I am with you there