EXHIBIT 5.1

               [Letterhead of Storey Armstrong Steger & Martin]



                                April 24, 1996


InSight Health Services Corp.
4440 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 320
Newport Beach, California  92660

     Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-4, 
          Registering 2,710,240 Shares of Common 
          Stock, $.001 par value, of InSight Health 
          Services Corp. (the "Registration Statement")
          

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We are acting as counsel for InSight Health Services Corp., a Delaware
corporation (the "Corporation"), in connection with the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), of an aggregate of 2,710,240
shares of the common stock, $.001 par value (the "Common Stock"), issuable
pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"),
dated February 26, 1996, by and among the Corporation, American Health Services
Corp., a Delaware corporation ("AHS"), Maxum Health Corp., a Delaware
corporation ("Maxum"), and two wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Corporation--
AHSC Acquisition Company, a Delaware corporation ("AHSC Acquisition"), and MXHC
Acquisition Company, a Delaware corporation ("MXHC Acquisition") pursuant to
which AHSC Acquisition will merge into AHS and MXHC Acquisition will merge into
Maxum (collectively, the "Merger").

     In connection with the issuance of the Common Stock, we have examined
originals, or copies submitted to us that we have assumed are genuine, accurate
and complete, of all such corporate records of the Corporation, agreements, and
other instruments, certificates of public officials, officers, and
representatives of the Corporation, and other documents we have deemed necessary
and appropriate to require as the basis for the opinion hereinafter expressed.
As to various questions of fact material to this opinion, where relevant facts
were not independently established, we have relied upon statements of the
officers of the Corporation.

     Based and relying solely upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that when
the 2,710,240 shares of Common Stock, or any portion thereof, are issued as
described in the Registration Statement, such shares will be duly authorized,
validly and legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 
InSight Health Services Corp.
April 24, 1996
Page 2

     Consent is hereby given to the filing of this opinion, and our tax opinion
issued to Maxum, as exhibits to the Registration Statement, and to the
references to this firm under the captions "SUMMARY--Federal Income Tax
Considerations," "THE MERGER--Federal Income Tax Considerations" and "LEGAL
MATTERS" as having passed upon certain legal matters in connection with the
validity of the shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Merger
Agreement and having issued a legal opinion regarding certain federal income tax
consequences of the Merger.  In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit
that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under
Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission promulgated thereunder.

                              Respectfully submitted,


                              /s/ Storey Armstrong Steger & Martin

                              STOREY ARMSTRONG STEGER & MARTIN
                                A Professional Corporation