| Statutory Citations |
Indiana |
Statutes
Documents
Free advance directive documents and instructions from Partnership for Caring.
| Case |
In re Lawrance, 579 N.E.2d 32 (Ind. 1991). |
| Court |
Indiana Supreme Court |
| Year |
1990 |
| Patient (age) |
Sue Ann Lawrence (42) |
| Nutrition + hydration |
unknown |
| Mental capacity |
Permanent brain damage since age 9; Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) since age 38 |
| Decision maker(s) |
parents |
| Setting |
An Indiana hospice |
| Patient's Wishes |
Unknown, but her parents and four siblings greed that tube feeding whold be withdrawn. |
| Court's Decision |
The court found that common law, the Indiana constitution, and various Indiana statues all support the right to self-determination, and that this right typically transfers to the closest family members in cases where the individual becomes incompetent to make decisions for him- or herself (when no one else has been specifically designated), or when the patient was never competent to make a decision in the first instance (as was the case here). |
| Outcome |
Sue Ann Lawrence died while her case was on appeal. |
| Citation |
Partnership for Caring, Inc. (2001), Fact Sheet, In re Lawrance. |
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