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A Playboy model's family has filed a wrongful death suit against her chiropractor.

The family of late Playboy model Katie May is suing a chiropractor over her death.

The mother of one’s estate, which is held by her former partner Alex Maimon, this week filed a wrongful death suit against Dr. Eric Swartz and his Los Angeles practice, Back to Total Health, PEOPLE reports.

The 34-year-old died in February 2016 three days after receiving a chiropractic adjustment of her neck, which she reportedly injured while holding a pose for a photoshoot.

It was that adjustment, the coroner later ruled, that tore her left vertebral artery, blocking blood flow to the brain and resulting in the stroke that ultimately killed her.

According to PEOPLE, the suit alleges Swartz should have recognised May required further investigation for possible spinal issues prior to treatment.

Katie May was popular on social media, even known as the Queen of Snapchat. Image: Instagram.

Following the release of the coronial report in October, the estate's attorney Ronald Richards claims the parties - including Swartz' insurance company - attempted to settle out of court but negotiations stalled.

“Honestly, we were willing to settle within policy — we weren’t trying to hurt the doctor,” he told the US outlet.

“We’re just hoping that [Maimon and May's 8-year-old] daughter gets a college fund — we don’t want anything unreasonable.”

Image: Instagram.

For the model's grieving mother, Janet, the suit came as a surprise. But to her and May's father, it's ultimately a futile exercise.

“If it brought our daughter back then I’d be so excited about it," she told PEOPLE.

"But my daughter’s gone and we’ll never see her again so it doesn’t matter what happens.”