Overview

• On July 16 a Nassau Open MRI technician invited Keith McAllister, 61, into an active MRI room while he wore a 20-pound metal chain, which was violently pulled into the scanner’s magnetic field.
• He remained stuck for nearly an hour before being freed, suffered several heart attacks and died the next day.
• Nassau County police have opened a homicide investigation into McAllister’s death and New York’s health department has launched a regulatory review of the facility’s safety practices.
• The McAllister family has hired attorneys and plans to pursue legal action, demanding accountability from Nassau Open MRI and calling for stricter oversight of imaging centers.
• Industry experts are warning that adherence to FDA and American College of Radiology safety guidelines, including multi-zone metal screening and strict access controls, is essential to prevent rare but catastrophic MRI accidents.