Which of the following indicates a traumatic cause of death?

Indications of a traumatic cause of death often involve observable injuries caused by external forces. Injuries that are deemed incompatible with life typically suggest severe trauma, indicating that the cause of death is more likely to be due to an external injury rather than a natural cause. For example, significant blunt force trauma or deep penetrating injuries often lead to immediate loss of functional vital signs, suggesting that the damage to vital organs is so extensive that survival is impossible.

The presence of fixed and dilated pupils may suggest death or severe neurological compromise, but it does not specifically point to a traumatic cause. Signs of post-mortem lividity can occur in any death and do not indicate trauma specifically, while the absence of breath sounds can occur in many situations, including both traumatic and non-traumatic deaths. Thus, focusing on the injuries that are incompatible with life directly aligns with identifying trauma as the cause of death.