In Payton v. Abbott Laboratories, U.S. District Court Judge Walter J. Skinner recently granted class certification to an action brought by twentyseven Massachusetts women against major manufacturers of DES. This is the first case in which a judge has interpreted the requirements of Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to allow women exposed in utero to DES to sue as a class to determine liability for their injuries. This Note reviews the Payton certification in light of prior class action decisions involving DES and other types of claims, and of legal commentary on Rule 23. This Note contends that Judge Skinner’s application of the Rule 23 requirements in Payton was procedurally correct, and recommends the class action device as an effective method for litigating such controversies. Finally, this Note analyzes the implications of this landmark ruling for plaintiffs seeking class certification in DES suits and in suits presenting analogous factual situations.

中文翻译：

---

佩顿诉雅培实验室：对马萨诸塞州 DES 集体诉讼的分析

在佩顿诉雅培实验室，美国地方法院法官 Walter J. Skinner 最近对 27 名马萨诸塞州女性针对主要 DES 制造商提起的诉讼授予了集体认证。这是法官解释《联邦民事诉讼规则》第 23 条要求允许女性暴露在在子宫内向 DES 提起诉讼，以确定对其伤害的责任。本说明回顾了佩顿根据之前涉及 DES 和其他类型的索赔的集体诉讼决定以及对规则 23 的法律评论的证明。本说明认为，斯金纳法官对规则 23 要求的适用佩顿在程序上是正确的，并建议将集体诉讼装置作为诉讼此类争议的有效方法。最后，本说明分析了这一具有里程碑意义的裁决对在 DES 诉讼和呈现类似事实情况的诉讼中寻求集体认证的原告的影响。