How long an insurance company will have to get an estimate on the damages to a vehicle harmed in an accident will vary depending upon the terms of a policy as well as state laws.

While several states may only require insurance companies to have the car looked at and repaired (or if totaled out to offer a settlement) within a "reasonable" amount of times, some states give a specific amount of time.

For example, in Louisiana state laws requires that, unless there is a catastrophe, the insurer must initiate loss adjustment within 14 days after that company has been notified of the loss by the claimant.

While North Dakota's Insurance Department states that there is not a set time provided for the settlement of a liability or physical damage claim, as many factors must be considered when investigating an accident. It is in the best interest of the company to investigate any loss promptly so that valuable evidence is not lost or destroyed and so that incurred costs, such as storage and any loss-of-use obligations do not become excessive.

We are not aware of any state law that allows you on your own to fix the vehicle after 20 days without the insurance adjuster seeing the car and getting an estimate on the repairs. To see if your state does have such a law or statute though, check with your state's insurance regulator.