Widow Files Lawsuit Over Husband's Tragic MRI Machine Death
In a significant legal development that underscores the grave dangers of powerful medical imaging equipment, a woman has filed a lawsuit alleging negligence after her husband was fatally pulled into an MRI machine. Adrienne Jones-McAllister has taken legal action in New York's state Supreme Court in Nassau County following the death of her 61-year-old husband, Keith McAllister, during an incident at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury on July 16, 2025.
Lawsuit Alleges Multiple Safety Failures
Court documents filed this week accuse the medical facility and associated companies of failing to implement basic safety precautions. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and names multiple entities: Nassau Open MRI P.C.; East Coast Radiology P.C., which had a contract allowing use of its MRI machine; Sun Enterprises, the site lessor; and GM Partners Westbury LLC, the property owner.
Adrienne Jones-McAllister alleges that staff failed to instruct her husband to remove his "large metallic chain" before entering the MRI room, creating what she describes as unsafe premises. The legal filing claims defendants were negligent "by allowing unsafe conditions on the premises and failing to have or implement safety protocols."
Traumatic Incident Details Emerge
The tragedy unfolded while Adrienne was undergoing an MRI scan of her knee, with her husband accompanying her to the appointment. According to the lawsuit, Keith McAllister was "summoned" into the room by a technician while the machine was still operating. At the time, he was wearing a heavy metal chain around his neck reportedly weighing approximately 20 pounds, which he used for weight training.
The MRI machine's powerful magnetic field immediately pulled him toward the equipment. The Nassau County Police Department confirmed: "The male victim was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine, which resulted in a medical episode."
Fatal Consequences and Emergency Response
Keith McAllister became trapped against the machine, with family accounts indicating he remained attached "for almost an hour before they could release the chain from the machine." Emergency responders transported him to hospital in critical condition, where he suffered multiple heart attacks following the incident. Despite medical efforts, he died the following day.
His wife has described witnessing the entire traumatic event, stating she "witnessed and was totally aware through all of her senses of the injuries and suffering and eventual death of her husband." She recalls that he was able to "wave goodbye" to her before his death.
Understanding MRI Machine Dangers
Magnetic resonance imaging machines rely on extremely strong magnetic fields to generate detailed body images. These fields can exert powerful forces on metal objects, with the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering noting the magnetic force is strong enough to act on "objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects" and can be "strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room."
Standard safety protocols typically require patients and anyone entering MRI rooms to remove all metal items, including jewelry and accessories, before approaching the equipment. Columbia University Irving Medical Center guidance similarly warns that metal objects can be pulled at high speed toward scanners, posing serious injury risks.
Unanswered Questions and Legal Proceedings
Family accounts have pointed to possible communication lapses. In a GoFundMe page supporting the family, Adrienne's daughter Samantha Bodden suggested the technician had "forgot to inform" Keith McAllister to remove the chain. The lawsuit notes there had been prior conversation about the chain between McAllister and the technician, though details remain undisclosed.
The case is being handled by attorney Andrew Finkelstein of Jacoby & Meyers, along with the Crump Law Office. Representatives for the companies named in the lawsuit have not immediately responded to requests for comment. The legal proceedings will examine questions around responsibility, safety protocol implementation, and the precise sequence of events inside the MRI room.
Adrienne Jones-McAllister states she has suffered "severe and serious personal, psychological and emotional injuries," including what she describes as "permanent effects of pain, disability, disfigurement and loss of body function" from witnessing her husband's traumatic death.
