rear axle

There is an "axle carrier," which is basically a dead rear axle -- like the rear axle in your old "Little Red Wagon" you may have had as a child, it is just there to mount the rear wheels, bearings, struts, etc., to, and does not have any function as far as powering the vehicle like a "live" rear axle in a Rear-wheel drive car would. In many cases it doesn't even look like an axle, just half of a metal U-channel bolted to the body of the vehicle towards the center, one on each side. That said, there may be some damage to the axle carrier from your curb hit.