CRYONIC SUSPENSION AGREEMENT

The fundamental contract for cryopreservation at the Cryonics Institute is the Cryonic Suspension Agreement, to be signed by the Member while mentally competent. It sets forth the basic legal provisions applicable to CI’s services.

Much of the agreement is devoted to disclaimers, limitations of liability, and statements that the Member’s estate and relatives will have or no recourse if CI or its employees make mistakes, even through negligence. If we leave our organization open to a lawsuit on any basis whatsoever, it would not merely put our assets at risk, but also the lives of every patient and Member. We simply can’t take that risk. The disclaimers and limitations of liability in the contract are meant primarily to protect both CI and its Member patients against relatives or heirs.

The people most likely to consider lawsuits are those relatives or heirs who are not interested in the possible revival of the patient, but only in his or her money. Therefore it is essential to phrase the contract so as to eliminate any possibility of recourse in the clearest and strongest possible way.

CI Members making arrangements to be cryopreserved must acknowledge in the Cryonic Suspension Agreement that they understand that the success of cryopreservation depends on future advances in science and technology, and that the probability of success is completely unknown. Members must acknowledge that CI strongly opposes anyone hastening death based on reliance that cryonics may work.

CI has no intention of allowing negligence of any sort to take place, and have other ways of making sure that negligence never occurs. Our facilities, for instance, are open to inspections by Members at their request.

It is up to you to satisfy yourself that CI is worthy of your trust. We think it is: we’re an open, non-profit organization, any one of whose Members can examine our financial statements and practices and facilities, elect Directors in free and open elections, and run for Director themselves.

We’ve been in business for nearly a quarter of a century, and we currently have the largest number of patients in cryostasis. It’s true that our contract is weighted towards protecting the Institute from the possibility of frivolous or destructive lawsuits — but in the long run that protects you.