Yes, you can keep the extra money you saved by finding a contractor to do the work cheaper than what the insurance company estimated. The insurance company prepared an estimate of the damage. If you could not find a contractor to do the work for what the insurance company estimated, you could ask them for more money. If they chose to pay you for the damage before it was fixed, they cannot ask for it back if you got the work done cheaper.
No!! It is highly illegal for you to do this. When you make a claim on you home insurance for something that was the fault of your contractor you sign over all subjugation rights against this contractor to your insurance company. This means that if your home insurance pays any part of this claim you give them all your rights to go after the contractor, which they will do. They will go to the contractor and their insurance company to get reimbursed for any amount they paid plus costs. In most states it is considered insurance fraud for you to even try to collect damages from two places for the same claim.
The contractor should make a claim upon the sub-contractors insurance and/or bond. If the sub-contractor defrauded the contractor on having insurance and/or bonding in place then he should report the contractor to the State licensing board, file claim on their insurance, and civil lawsuit (if the insurance company does not directly file or pay).
See if your insurance company will help you resolve the claim. The contractor should definitely make things right.
You can make a claim, but if you are claiming the same damages that is insurance fraud and it is a federal crime. If you have unrelated damages you can make a claim, or you can disclose the prior claim to your insurance carrier and they will advise you if there is any coverage that would apply.
It is up to the insurance company to seek damages, not you.
It depends on the type of damage.
No, the insurance company when settling the claim will have you sign a waiver of damages for their insured before giving you a check.
You can only claim against the rental company if the driver took out their insurance. If he has his own separate insurance, that is where you need to make the claim.
No, you will not receive a point.
No, if it is your fault you are not eligible to received diminished value from your insurance company. It has to be a third party claim, ie the party at fault's insurance company pays the damages if you can recover them.
Ace Insurance company does not appraise damages on a claim. Their auditors will never see the damages done. They see the estimate of the damages and review it for mistakes, fairness and accuracy. Thus they achieved the title of "The Claims Review Company." If you have a claim, you will never see their auditors, but you can rest assured when Ace says the estimate is fair and correct, it is.
The insurance co. has contractual obligation to pay for your damages. It's up to you to fix your car. <><><> If you are still paying for the car, the finance company will require that you have the damages repaired.