I get stung by dead bees more or less regularly. I seem to be always
brushing up against bees that have been mashed by a frame, or sitting down on
burlap that has dead bees tangled in its fibers (that's really embarrassing).
Dead bees are not particularly aggressive, so they don't inject much venom;
however, they do inject a little venom. I don't think bees that have been
dead for a long time (such as one might find in a starved colony) will sting.
I think you have to get to them within a few days of death.
Just my two cents.
Shawna