So, let's look at the problem... Before t=0, the switch is open, meaning the two resistors are a part of the circuit. We assume a steady state condition before t=0, so, what does an inductor act like at steady state when frequency = 0?
An inductor acts as a short at steady state with a DC source, so the voltage across the inductor = 0 @ t < 0, so the current through the inductor is governed by the resistors. We know that the current through an inductor cannot change instantaneously, so the current through the inductor at t<0 is the current through the inductor at t = 0.