Reuters (Paris) - A French appeal court on Thursday recognised car maker Renault's (RENA.PA) "inexcusable fault" in the 2006 suicide of an engineer, in a move that establishes a link between the company's conduct and the employee's death.
The decision, by the Versailles appeal court, backs up an earlier court ruling from 2009. Renault has two months to decide whether to appeal to a higher court that can judge whether the appeal court's decision conformed to the law.
A Renault spokeswoman said the company was considering whether or not to take that step.
The engineer, who was 39, worked at Renault's Technocentre, near Paris. He killed himself in October 2006 by jumping from the fifth floor of the research facility. His wife launched legal proceedings against Renault.
His death was one of three suicides within a few months and also one of a wider series in corporate France that have raised concern about worker morale and stress, notably at France Telecom (FTE.PA).
A Renault spokeswoman said the company took measures in response to the spate of suicides about three years ago, when the company had consulted agencies specialised in psychosocial matters and put in place an action plan.
