I also think we are overly litigious, but...
There is sometimes a legitimate reason for class action suits. Large corporations have lawyers on retainer or even as corporate employees, and they have funds for tort warfare.
A large corporation can alternately file for delay after delay, or can have its legal staff come up with a multitude of arguments and cites.
An individual or a small business, lacking these advantages, will go broke on billable hours for each delay and each counter-argument and supporting cite. This often results in individuals or small businesses not going to court, even when their case is strong or the large corporation's case is obviously flimsy.
For one example, a long-established Mom and Pop Cuban restaurant in Orlando, Restaurante Uno, changed its name to Restaurante Dos rather than fight the lawyers from Pizzeria Uno, who gave notice of intent to file for trademark infringement, when Pizzeria Uno decided to set up shop at Church Street.
Pizzeria Uno was able to win by bullying, when they should not have been able to prevail in court.
Had a bunch of restaurants, using Uno somewhere in their names, been able to band together, Pizzeria Uno might have actually had to prove a case - which I do not think they could have done.
So, the idea behind a legitimate class action suit is that it allows multiple Davids to stand against Goliath.