Question: My husband worked in a factory where he had to lift, stretch and do physical work which caused him some shoulder pain. He went to his regular physician who prescribed prednisone. That helped somewhat but he has always complained his shoulder muscles ached. This went on for a few months with prednisone prescribed. Fast forward from January (original complaint) to April when he was involved in an accident and thrown against the passenger door onto his right arm.. This occurred on a golf weekend. He played golf but not as well as usual. He is a cross handed golfer so using that scenario his left arm took the brunt of the golf swing. A couple of weeks later he went back to the doctor due to intense increased pain and was referred to an ortho doctor. After x-rays and physical therapy (while still working) he was diagnosed to have a torn rotator cuff and needed surgery. The insurance company is saying the accident did not add to or cause the rotator cuff problem and that it was a prior condition. My question is, if there were a torn rotator cuff prior to the accident, wouldn't the doctor have said so then and wouldn't my husband have noticed the increased pain before the accident?