Narrative:

After a captain's PA, stated turbulence was expected in 10 mins, I proceeded to push my cart toward the business class galley, which is far aft of the business class cabin. As most of our service carts are ill-repaired, I had been struggling with mine all along. The turbulence came immediately -- not in 10 mins as hoped, and I was thrown off balance while pushing my cart. I tore muscles in my left shoulder and neck, had an impinged C-7 nerve with hand and arm numbness, severe muscle spasm in left shoulder, left chest, left back, separated the scapula from the rib cage, etc. Had extensive physical therapy and still have therapeutic massage and limited use. Turbulence is enough for cabin crews to deal with, without having defective equipment to deal with, too. There are no protections for us from lax maintenance standards on cabin equipment. We also seldom receive adequate warning, if any warning at all, of expected turbulence, even though the cockpit is instructed to inform us. I have often witnessed, while in the cockpit, warnings of possible upcoming turbulence from other aircraft, go unheeded (not disseminated to the cabin). However, I do feel I would not have been injured if the faulty cart had not been in the formula. We need protection from our own companies.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B767-200, ORD-ZRH, MALFUNCTIONING CART, TURB, AND FLT ATTENDANT INJURY.

Narrative: AFTER A CAPT'S PA, STATED TURB WAS EXPECTED IN 10 MINS, I PROCEEDED TO PUSH MY CART TOWARD THE BUSINESS CLASS GALLEY, WHICH IS FAR AFT OF THE BUSINESS CLASS CABIN. AS MOST OF OUR SVC CARTS ARE ILL-REPAIRED, I HAD BEEN STRUGGLING WITH MINE ALL ALONG. THE TURB CAME IMMEDIATELY -- NOT IN 10 MINS AS HOPED, AND I WAS THROWN OFF BAL WHILE PUSHING MY CART. I TORE MUSCLES IN MY L SHOULDER AND NECK, HAD AN IMPINGED C-7 NERVE WITH HAND AND ARM NUMBNESS, SEVERE MUSCLE SPASM IN L SHOULDER, L CHEST, L BACK, SEPARATED THE SCAPULA FROM THE RIB CAGE, ETC. HAD EXTENSIVE PHYSICAL THERAPY AND STILL HAVE THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE AND LIMITED USE. TURB IS ENOUGH FOR CABIN CREWS TO DEAL WITH, WITHOUT HAVING DEFECTIVE EQUIP TO DEAL WITH, TOO. THERE ARE NO PROTECTIONS FOR US FROM LAX MAINT STANDARDS ON CABIN EQUIP. WE ALSO SELDOM RECEIVE ADEQUATE WARNING, IF ANY WARNING AT ALL, OF EXPECTED TURB, EVEN THOUGH THE COCKPIT IS INSTRUCTED TO INFORM US. I HAVE OFTEN WITNESSED, WHILE IN THE COCKPIT, WARNINGS OF POSSIBLE UPCOMING TURB FROM OTHER ACFT, GO UNHEEDED (NOT DISSEMINATED TO THE CABIN). HOWEVER, I DO FEEL I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INJURED IF THE FAULTY CART HAD NOT BEEN IN THE FORMULA. WE NEED PROTECTION FROM OUR OWN COMPANIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.