Family hires attorney after man’s tragic MRI accident involving 20-pound chain

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Wife of man sucked into MRI machine speaks out

‘The Big Weekend Show’ co-hosts discuss a man dying after being sucked into an MRI machine in New York.

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The family of a man who died in a freak MRI-related accident in New York last week appears poised to file a lawsuit over the incident. 

Keith McAllister, 61, suffered three heart attacks after being pulled into the magnetic force of an MRI at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury last week, and died. He was wearing a 20-pound chain at the time of the incident. 

Now, his family has hired an attorney to “ensure accountability” stemming from the incident, according to the New York Post. 

Keith McAllister died after being pulled into an MRI machine while wearing a 20-pound metal chain.  (GoFundMe)

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The family has reportedly retained attorney Michael Lauterborn of Smith, Cheung and Lauterborn, PC. 

“This heartbreaking incident highlights the critical importance of safety protocols in medical imaging facilities,” Lauterborn reportedly said. “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.”

McAllister’s widow, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, was undergoing a knee scan at the time of the accident. 

A brain-scanning MRI machine. (Keith Srakocic/AP Photo)

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According to the couple’s daughter, Samantha Bodden, the MRI technician allegedly left the room to track down McAllister and asked him for assistance, but did not warn him of the danger of wearing metal near the machine. 

After initial reports that McAllister entered the room on his own and was not authorized to be there, Bodden clarified that he was in fact invited in.

“Several news stations are saying he wasn’t authorized to be in the room when, in fact, he was because the technician went and brought him into the room,” Bodden wrote. 

Danger sign on wall outside an MRI scanner exam room (iStock)

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Bodden said she and Jones-McAllister attempted to free McAllister from the machine before finally calling the police for help. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Smith, Cheung and Lauterborn, PC and to Nassau Open MRI for comment. 

Peter D’Abrosca joined Fox News Digital in 2025. Previously, he was a politics reporter at The Tennessee Star. 

He grew up in Rhode Island and is a graduate of Elon University. 

Follow Peter on X at @pmd_reports. Send story tips to peter.dabrosca@fox.com.