What is a common cause of blunt trauma?

Falls from height are a common cause of blunt trauma because they involve a direct impact on the body without any penetrating injury. Blunt trauma typically refers to injuries resulting from forces that do not breach the skin, which can cause damage to internal organs, soft tissues, and bones. When a person falls from any elevation, the momentum and subsequent impact can lead to a wide array of injury patterns, including fractures, contusions, and concussions, depending on the height and nature of the fall.

In contrast, the other options represent mechanisms that usually involve penetrating trauma. Stab wounds and gunshot wounds break the skin and create lacerations or puncture injuries that can have very different clinical implications than blunt trauma. Animal bites, while potentially causing significant injury, often result in soft tissue damage but are also not categorized as blunt trauma since they can create open wounds. Thus, falls from height distinctly delineate themselves as a classic example of blunt trauma due to the nature of the injury sustained upon impact.