Like hitting pause on a kitchen timer while you deal with something urgent, tolling stops a legal deadline from running for a period of time. In law and insurance, it usually means the clock on a filing deadline - often the statute of limitations - is temporarily suspended, then starts again later. Tolling does not erase the deadline or give unlimited time; it just prevents time from counting during certain circumstances recognized by law or by agreement.

That matters because injury claims can be won or lost on timing alone. If a deadline is tolled, an injured person may still have a valid lawsuit even after a lot of calendar time has passed. Common reasons include a claimant being a minor, a defendant being out of state, or another legal rule delaying when the clock starts or runs. But tolling is not automatic in every situation, and people often assume they have more time than they actually do.

In New York, tolling rules appear in the Civil Practice Law and Rules, including CPLR 208, which can toll deadlines for infancy or insanity, and CPLR 204, which pauses time in certain circumstances that stay commencement of an action. These rules can affect personal injury cases involving crashes, falls, or unsafe street conditions. Even if tolling may apply, shorter notice rules - such as a Notice of Claim against a city agency - can still create separate deadlines.