When retired RCMP Constable Jason Hidamaka heard the news that insurance money was coming for his amputated leg, he sat in his truck and cried.
Hidamaka suffered from pain for many years after an accident he encountered while on duty.
Last summer, his lower right leg was amputated. But he was twice denied $55,000 worth of accident insurance in Canada because the insurer said he needed to have an amputation within two years of the injury to qualify.
Hidamaki's amputation occurred five years after the first accident, after several failed surgeries and many sleepless nights with chronic pain.
A few days after CBC News contacted Canada Life about Hidamaki's denial of accidental damage insurance, he received a call from the company saying two checks were on the way – one for $50,000 and the other for $5,000.
In a statement, Canada Life said: “While we cannot comment on details due to confidentiality, coverage decisions must comply with RCMP plan directive.”
“Canada Life understands the long and difficult recovery path associated with such an accident, which is why we worked with the RCMP to provide a solution for the plan member.”
The insurer did not responder CBC News wonders why he reconsidered his decision.
One fateful night
Hidamaka was injured in his hometown of Elkford, British Columbia, in November 2019 during a routine traffic stop that changed his life forever.
Hidamaka was chasing a man accused of selling drugs when he knocked him to the ground, landing hard on ice and packed snow.
Later, a lump the size of an egg developed on the lower right corner of his left leg.g—thIt was the start of a deeply painful five-and-a-half-year medical journey that ended with the amputation of his limb.
Khaydamak– now 54-He initially denied paying any accidental damage compensation from his insurance company, Canada Life. A letter from the company, seen by CBC News, says he is not entitled to compensation for the loss of the limb because the amputation occurred more than two years after the injury.
“To the best of our knowledge, we advise that your injury is not considered a covered loss within the meaning of this policy,” the letter states.
“I just expected them to be a little more sympathetic,” Hidamaka. told CBC News before Canada Life reversed its decision.
Hidamaka appealed the refusal and was again refused.
“While we can certainly appreciate that your care team attempted to save your leg during the procedures you underwent, the actual amputation occurred after the contractual deadline of 730 days,” Canada Life said in its appeal letter.
Khaydamakyou are disabledThis happened in July 2025, more than five years after the injury.
“It’s not a matter of sitting with a form and not mailing it in. I have constantly tried to correct this injury, and it seems that trying to get better should not be punished,” Hidamaka said.
“I don’t think many people have the same result as me. And I seem to be unique enough that they want to look at it and say, “This is not what this two-year policy is intended to do.”
Disability applications are often rejected, War Amps says
Advocates say Hidamaka is not everythingfirst, people with amputated limbs are often denied funding because the timing of the amputation rarely coincides withwithin the time limits established by the insurers.
“The decision to amputate is unimaginable and should never be made in haste,” said Aimee Brennan, advocacy program assistant at The War Amputations of Canada (War Amps), a charity supporting amputees.
Hidamaki's diagnosis and treatment were delayed as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed non-essential surgeries and pushed Canada's health care system to breaking point.
At his fifth doctor's appointment in Elkford, Hidamaki was diagnosed with a fiscal tear, where a muscle in his leg bulged and rubbed against two nerves.
Before the accidentnt, lengthAmaka went hiking and camping with his wife and three teenage sons. But now simple tasks like mowing the grass or sleeping through the night seemed impossible.
Bad days turned into bad weeks and then into bad months.
In 2022, more than a year after the accident, Hidamaka underwent his first surgery to address a financial gap that only worsened after the procedure. He had a second surgery in January 2023 but continued to suffer from chronic pain.
In January 2025, Hidamaka and his medical team decided to amputate.
“It was a big word,” he said.
“You have to understand the position you're in where talking about losing a limb seems like a good choice,” he said.
In July 2025, Hidamaki hit rock bottom. right his leg was amputated at a Calgary hospital, and his pain stopped for the first time since the accident.
“It really saved my life,” Hidamaka said. “There's really no other way to say it.”
He could finally sleep through the night.
More education needed for amputees
The accident forced Hidamaka into early retirement, turning the last few years into a financial nightmare.
Brennan said War Amps has seen cases similar to Hidamaka's before.
“I think one of the main reasons why insurance companies deny accidental dismemberment or other insurance issues that we see amputees face is simply a lack of education,” Brennan said.
“Amputation is such a small percentage of the population,” she said.
NotAccept all insurance denials, lawyer says
Sivan Tumarkin – co-founding partnerr from Vancouver Law Firm SAmfiru Tumarkin LLP specializes in insurance cases.
Tumarkin said that when people appeal insurance denials, the company often has no incentive to change its position. — but the solutions are not set in stone.
“In many cases, there is a gray area, and there is room for negotiation and maneuver,” Tumarkin said.
“This is not an independent process.”
Hidamaka said he is grateful to the people who supported him during the insurance process.
“It actually means more to me than money,” Hidamaka said.
“It's just somebody standing up and saying, 'Hey, let's do right by somebody.'
With some of the insurance money, Hidamaka wants to take his kids on a road trip and buy a rooftop tent for his truck.
“It would be a dream to have this happen without worrying about money,” he said.
