Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health
On January 11, 1983, Nancy Cruzan's car ran off the road.  She landed 35 feet away, face-down in a ditch filled with water.  When paramedics arrived, her heart had stopped and she was not breathing.  The paramedics resuscitated her, but her brain was damaged by not having enough oxygen.  The brain damage caused a persistent vegetative state.