Cyrogenics, AV et al

***general counsel*** · -01-31-2006

Question for the group on cyrogenics. If you have your body frozen (or just your head if you are ted williams) and your heirs collect on your life insurance proceeds, should you be required to repay the life insurance proceeds, plus interest, if you are brought back to life at some point in the future? Interesting legal question, need a view from AV and the group.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

**AvengerRam** · -01-31-2006

Depends on the wording of the policy.

If benefits are payable "upon death of the policy holder," there should be no obligation to repay if you are frozen post-death and then later brought back. I on the other hand, you are frozen prior to death, and later revived, the benefits would not vest upon being frozen.

If benefits are payable at "the end of the life of the policy holder," it could be argued that death, followed by freezing, is not the end, and therefore payment should not be made until such time as the policyholder reaches a state from which no revival could ever occur.

***general counsel*** · -01-31-2006

AV, this issues is heading big time into the courts as we speak, recent article about it in the journal. It pertains to the type of trusts that are being created to insure that money is available in the event someone is revived and what the heirs are doing to challenge those trusts. There are technical rules regarding "perpetual" trusts and it doesnt get much more perpetual than waiting around to be brought back to life.

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general counsel

***MOM*** · -02-01-2006

OK, I am NOT a legal beagle, but, I shall give this one a whirl anyways.

Originally Posted by gc

If you have your body frozen

OK, let's go here first. If I am not mistaken, and please DO correct me if I am, the whole point of cryogenics is freezing the body in order to be "revived" at some point before death occurs to prolong life. I can't imagine that someone would want their corpse frozen, because once you are declared dead, there's really not much reviving that can be done. With this in mind, I could only imagine that a stipulation would be made in one's LIVING will would be to have the body frozen prior to death, as in what the person's wishes are if they became medically incapacitated, thus making the intentions of the person known. With that in mind.....

Originally Posted by Av

If benefits are payable at "the end of the life of the policy holder," it could be argued that death, followed by freezing, is not the end, and therefore payment should not be made until such time as the policyholder reaches a state from which no revival could ever occur.

.....I would imagine that this would be the best case scenario. This would keep the repayment, plus interest, an ugly situation in and of itself from ANY standpoint, from happening in the first place.

Maybe the wording in EVERY policy should legally HAVE to read that way. And, maybe, there should be laws that state that anyone attempting to have themselves frozen cryogenically be required to have a Living Will in place (if that doesn't exist already), their Final Will and Testament, and Life Insurance situation all tie in together, and make the instructions they leave as specific and detailed as possible, making legal challenges harder to make, because many of the challenges, again, if I am not mistaken, are due to confusion over what the person meant.

Phwew, now that the smoke is billowing from my ears, I am going to now make a prediction that someone will suggest that I NOT quit my day job.

***SFCRamFan*** · -02-01-2006

The ideas behind cyrogenics is just too bizarre for me to comprehend. If someone does freeze themselves for a later life, and wants to keep their estate, (money, etc.) then I would try and declare them mentally unfit for trying to save their estate for this later life. It is just too crazy to me.

***general counsel*** · -02-01-2006

SFC, vision my man. Think long term and how technology changes. What do you think humans would have thought of computers, airplanes, cards, television, etc 500 years ago. Remember, for a long time, conventional wisdom was that the earth was flat. Freedom of choice. If its your money, i dont see why you cant do whatever you want with it.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

***SFCRamFan*** · -02-01-2006

I agree that the possibilities are limitless. I just don't know that I would want to wake up and see how things have changed. If things aren't to your liking then there is no turning back. You are stuck in this new life that is not to your interest or liking. It is just a bizarre idea to me. It is one of those be careful what you ask for situations.

***general counsel*** · -02-01-2006

If you dont like what you see, you can always jump off a building. At least you had the option. I am a big believer that having choices in life is a good thing.

I agree 100% with the expression be careful what you wish for.

There is a famous twighlight zone episode, it goes something like this (not exactly, but this is the idea). The earth is dying or the guy is dying. Somehow, he is one of the very lucky few to be transported into the future. He is so thrilled to have survived certain death, until he lands in the future and is immediately sent into battle as a soldier in a war against jupiter and certain death anyway.

Dont ban this football analogy. Sort of the eagles mantra. Be careful what you wish for when you wind up with TO!

ramming speed to all

general counsel