If a leaked security camera video from a fatal MRI accident is as it appears, the MRI tech on duty did not appear alarmed by Keith McAllister walking into the scanner room, steps that led to fatal injuries.
Was McAllister unauthorized or authorized to enter the room? The most important details about the incident July 16, 2025, at Nassau Open MRI are still unknown publicly, according to Episode 6 of "The Invisible Force" podcast, hosted by MRI expert hosts Tobias "Toby" Gilk and John Posh on the AuntMinnie Podcast Network.
Episode 6 highlights legal cues and clues in the Keith McAllister MRI accident, starting with how the narrative changed following the event. Gilk and Posh have yet to surface official documents from the state or even Nassau County.
"We imagined that while it was being investigated by the police, they were contemplating whether criminal negligence or maybe even manslaughter charges might be appropriate," Gilk said. "We were told that the homicide investigator passed the information up to the DA's office and that, at least so far, the DA's office has declined to file any criminal charges against either the imaging center or the MRI technologist."
Next, Gilk and Posh explore information into civil proceedings. Both have served as subject matter expert witnesses. Listen now. They explain.
The details of this case are important to the healthcare profession, Gilk stressed. Identifying what went wrong and sharing it with other MRI providers may help prevent similar accidents.
In Episode 5, Gilk and Posh explained that MRI falls into a regulatory blind spot. The state of New York exercises little or no oversight over MRI centers, they said.
"Nobody outside Nassau Open MRI themselves had any direct responsibility for protecting the public from unsafe practices around the MRI," Gilk noted.
It is well known that MRI machines pose serious hazards, especially for magnetizable objects. There are classes of manufacturer-tested objects -- including MR Safe (safe in all MRI environments), and MR Conditional (which are known to be safe when the provided conditions are all met) -- as well as myriad unlabeled and untested objects.
While medical equipment product labels are immensely helpful in assuring MRI safety, when the object isn’t labeled for MRI, site evaluation and segregation of dangerous objects is essential. On this faithful day, there was a major failure in that, Gilk told AuntMinnie.
This was not the first time that the McAllisters had been to Nassau Open MRI or that the big chain had been worn there, according to Gilk. In describing a video leaked in connection with the McAllister accident, they point out the apparent safety errors.
"We want to make it perfectly clear that as an unscreened person, he should not have been inside the MRI scanner room or even in the control room area," Posh said. "From the leaked security camera video, we know that Mr. McAllister walks into the MRI scan room, and there doesn't appear to be any obvious concern on the part of the tech about him being in that room."
What would the expected reaction be when you see someone walking in the room like that? Listen now.
What about a lawsuit? Stay tuned for Episode 7.
Editor's note: The imaging community and other listeners have been invited to contribute to the investigation through The Invisible Force Tip Line -- 631-MRI-TIPS (631-674-8477).
Host
Tobias "Toby" Gilk is the founder of Gilk Radiology Consulting. An architect by training, he has spent over 20 years focusing on MRI safety, initially through the architecture and planning of MRI facilities, but growing into the technology, clinical practice, regulation, and economics of MRI safety. Gilk holds both MR Safety Officer (MRSO) and MR Safety Expert (MRSE) certifications from the American Board of Magnetic Resonance Safety (ABMRS). An evaluator of serious reportable events (SRE), he is also a volunteer member of the Technical Expert Panel (TEP) of the National Quality Forum, and co-author of "The Technologist MRI Safety Handbook."
Co-host
John Posh is an MRI educator, safety consultant, and safety auditor with over 35 years of experience in the field of MRI safety and education, working with outpatient facilities, hospitals, and universities. He owns Posh Education in Bethlehem, PA, and currently serves as global director of education and training for Aspect Imaging, chief academic officer-MRI at John Patrick University, and adjunct professor of medical imaging at Rush University.
This episode of "The Invisible Force" is brought to you by AuntMinnie and the AuntMinnie Podcast Network. You can also find it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Check out AuntMinnie's full podcast library, including extras, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
