AN ACR DISPATCHER RPTS THAT A FLT THAT SHE WAS MONITORING ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB THAT RESULTED IN MINOR INJURIES TO PAX AND CABIN ATTENDANTS; BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

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FLT OPERATING CLT TO PIT. SIGMET FOR TURB (MODERATE OCCASIONAL SEVERE) 15000 FT TO FL370 WAS IN EFFECT ALL DAY AND WAS CONTINUING THROUGH XA00Z. 15000-17000 FT FLTS WERE RPTING RIDES OK. THIS FLT WAS FILED 17000 FT. ATC ADVISED RIDES RPTED SMOOTH AT 15000 FT AND CLRED FLT TO 15000 FT. AT 15000 FT CAPT RPTED A SEVERE JOLT LASTING ONLY BRIEFLY. CAPT REQUESTED PARAMEDICS MEET FLT AS SEVERAL PAX EXPERIENCED MINOR INJURIES. 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION. 2 PAX ADAMANTLY REFUSED ANY MEDICAL TREATMENT ON THE SCENE; BUT LEFT THEIR PHONE NUMBERS IF ANYTHING DEVELOPS LATER. 3 PAX WERE CHKED BY PARAMEDICS AT THE SCENE AND RELEASED. NO SEVERE INJURIES WERE NOTED. TO PREVENT THIS -- STOP OP COMPLETELY IS ONLY WAY TO AVOID ANY TURB TO ACFT OR PAX. THERE WAS NO FEASIBLE WAY TO FILE FLT PLAN AROUND TURB AREA TO GET OUT OF AREA COMPLETELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A DISPATCHER FOR A MAJOR ACR. SHE SAID THAT THIS TURB INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING SEVERAL DAYS OF MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB THAT AFFECTED MOST OF THE EAST COAST AND SOME OF THE MIDWEST OF THIS COUNTRY. THE DISPATCHER SAID THAT FLTS WERE PLANNED TO; AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE; AVOID KNOWN SEVERE TURB. ON THIS FLT SHE WAS UNABLE TO PLAN THE CRUISING ALT LOWER THAN 17000 FT BECAUSE OF MINIMUM ALTS OVER A MOUNTAINOUS PORTION OF THE RTE. HOWEVER; ONCE ENRTE THE FLC WAS ABLE TO GET 15000 FT FROM THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR. THEY HIT THE TURB ANYWAY. ALTHOUGH THE SEAT BELT SIGNS WERE ON AND SEVERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS TO WEAR THEM WERE MADE; SOME INJURIES DID OCCUR. THE DISPATCHER SAID THAT SHE STARTED TO COORDINATE WITH THE OPS PERSONNEL TO ARRANGE FOR PARAMEDICS AND MAINT PERSONNEL TO MEET THE FLT AT ITS DEST. THE CONDITION OF THE INJURED DID NOT WARRANT A DIVERSION. AFTER THE INJURED WERE TAKEN CARE OF; MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND HAD THE INTERIOR CLEANED. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC THE NEXT DAY WITH NO DAMAGE. THE RPTR SAID THAT SHE CHKED THE CREW FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND NEITHER THE PLTS OR CABIN ATTENDANTS HAD LINGERING INJURIES.