Sledgehammer victim: Attackers were after insurance money

An Upper West Side psychiatrist who was carved up by an attacker wielding a sledgehammer and knife a year ago is now suing his ex-girlfriend and the alleged attacker — who is her cousin — claiming they hatched the plan to get rich off his $ 1.5 million life insurance policy.

Michael Weiss claims fellow shrink Pamela Buchbinder, who is the mother of his 5-year-old son, orchestrated the bloody attack in his W. 57th St. home office — giving her cousin details about the building’s layout, helping him obtain the weapons and ultimately hatching the scheme to end his life.

In his $ 5 million suit Weiss claims the evil plan was borne from a nasty family court battle with Buchbinder, who falsely accused him of sexually abusing their son and beating her up.

Weiss says his attacker, Jacob Nolan, “called Buchbinder on his cell phone to tell her that he was injured and that the plan had gone awry,” after he escaped the bloodshed.

Weiss’ attorney, Roland Acevedo, said he overheard Buchbinder checking in on her cousin at the same hospital where Weiss was being treated immediately after Nolan allegedly hacked him with the sledgehammer and stabbed him with a kitchen knife at least eight times on Nov. 12, 2012.

“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Acevedo told The Post. “They were going after the life insurance policy.”

Just weeks before Nolan broke into the shrink’s office Buchbinder had pushed Weiss to amend the policy so that she would control the proceeds, the Manhattan Supreme court suit claims.

She was also allegedly angry at her ex over a disagreement about their son’s school tuition.

Acevedo said his client belongs in the “father’s hall of fame” because he voluntarily gave the mother full custody with a promise of liberal visitation and paid child support for years without a court order.

The Manhattan district attorney had investigated Buchbinder’s involvement, but never brought any charges against her.

Nolan has not been indicted and is out of jail on a $ 100,000 cash bail. But a judge extended an order of protection for Weiss Wednesday during Nolan’s regularly scheduled court appearance.

“He’s traumatized from someone trying to kill him,” Weiss’ attorney said.

Nolan’s lawyer, Steven Brounstein, had not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment.

Buchbinder did not return calls for comment.

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