There is death and then there is information theoretic death - a person who is cryopreserved is a good deal less dead than someone who went to the grave. The fine structure and data of the mind still exist, in a cold-stored stasis, and thus might be restored through foreseeable future technology. Here are some notes on the legal situation with respect to cryopreserved people: "This article series seeks to compare the legal protection of cryonics patients under their present legal status to the legal protection which would be afforded them if they were recognized as persons under the law, thinking ahead to such future time as it becomes reasonably possible to put legal and political pressure towards enhanced legal recognition of cryonics patients. The previous article examined laws that directly affect what happens to a person's body after legal death, both in the period immediately after declaration of legal death, and indefinitely thereafter. We saw that the amount of prospective autonomy a person is permitted in this regard can vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, with more or less consideration afforded to the wishes of the person's next of kin, religious beliefs, societal norms and other public interests. Two other legal structures which can and are used by cryonicists to promote the success and timeliness of cryopreservation, maintenance, and resuscitation are wills and trusts."

Link: http://www.evidencebasedcryonics.org/2012/05/05/legal-protection-of-cryonics-patients-part-2/

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm