Wheelchair as a Prosthetic Device

June 11, 2012

Our insured was injured and his wheelchair was damaged in a rollover loss; the wheelchair was strapped inside the insured's vehicle at the time of the accident.

The Washington PIP endorsement states the following: We will pay personal injury protection benefits to or for an insured who sustains bodily injury. The bodily injury must be caused by an accident arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle as a motor vehicle. Subject to the limits shown in the Schedule or Declarations for the personal injury protection coverage benefits that apply, personal injury protection benefits consist of the following: all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred within three years from the date of the accident for medical, surgical, x-ray and dental ser-vices; pharmaceuticals, prosthetic devices and eyeglasses; and necessary ambulance, hospital, professional nursing.

Our question concerns the wheelchair: is it a prosthetic device?

Washington Subscriber

If the insured suffered BI, then that is covered by the PIP endorsement, but we do not see that coverage extending to the repair or replacement of a wheelchair. It is doubtful that a wheelchair is a prosthetic device since such a device is usually something that is meant to replace a missing body part. However, you should ask a medical professional about this to be sure.