X-Message-Number: 1285
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 22:37:48 CDT
From: Brian Wowk <>
Subject: CRYONICS: CSC Tragedy

 
Graham Wilson <>:
 
> I have read the following extract from Message 1272
> () and was wondering what were the full
> circumstances of the story?  Were there any repercussions from the
> relatives of the patients involved?  Are there any independent guarantees
> that such an occurance could not happen again ?
 
>> You need a little history to understand why this is such a touchy 
>> point.  The Cryonics Society of California failed in the late 
>> 70s-early 80s, taking half a dozen patients into irreversible loss. 
 
        The failure of CSC is a LONG story.  You will find some of the 
details in the Feb. and March 1992 issues of Cryonics Magazine available from 
the Alcor Life Extension Foundation.
 
        Briefly, the failure of CSC was related to freeze-first-pay-later 
practices in the early days of cryonics.  Similar failures today are unlikely 
because of much higher *up front* suspension funding requirements.  The 
relatives of the thawed patients did file a successful million dollar class 
action suit against the President of CSC and an assisting mortician (Los 
Angeles Superior Court Case No. C 161229, circa 1981).
 
----------
     BTW, in response to your query a few weeks ago about books 
on legal aspects of cryonics: Several years ago I did an IQuest 
search on Compuserve for books about cryonics, which I have since 
misplaced.  I specifically recall two books.  One was a 
sociological work by Arlene Sheskin, another was a book about 
legal aspects of cryonics published some time in the 70's.
 
                                        --- Brian Wowk

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