The family of a Westbury man who died after being pulled into an MRI machine by a heavy metal chain wants answers and is demanding accountability, according to a new report.
Attorney Michael Lauterborn told Newsday his firm is representing the family of 61-year-old Keith McAllister, who died July 17, one day after suffering critical injuries at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury.
McAllister had entered an MRI room while a scan of his wife was in progress and was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck, authorities said. The machine’s powerful magnetic field pulled the chain — and McAllister — toward the scanner, triggering a fatal medical emergency, police said.
“This heartbreaking incident highlights the critical importance of safety protocols in medical imaging facilities,” Lauterborn, of the Manhattan-based law firm Smith, Cheung & Lauterborn PC, told Newsday.
“The family and our legal team are dedicated to assisting the appropriate authorities in their investigation and in efforts to ensure accountability and prevent similar tragedies in the future,” he added.
Lauterborn said the family is “devastated and seeking answers” and believes the incident was preventable. The law firm said it is committed to ensuring the case is thoroughly investigated by both the Nassau County Police Department and the New York State Department of Health.
How McAllister accessed the room remains unclear. Police said he was unauthorized to be there; he was not a patient.
MRI protocol typically includes strict screening procedures and restricted access to rooms where the machine is active, due to the risk of metal objects becoming dangerous projectiles.
The incident occurred about 4:30 p.m. on July 16 at the facility at 1570 Old Country Road. McAllister was transported to a local hospital and died the next afternoon.
Medical experts say such fatalities are extremely rare. Dr. Emanuel Kanal, a leading MRI safety expert at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said in the Newsday that globally, only a small number of deaths have been documented over more than four decades due to projectiles being drawn into MRI scanners.
The Westbury case remains under investigation.
Top photo: Keith McAllister (Fascebook).
