Pa42, we have been around the H-V curve argument a few times on recent threads, some choose to ignore it or discount it for specific flight regimes eg approaches. The HV curve is a good ballpark indicator of whether or not you will be able to achieve autorotation at minimum RoD speed so that you stand the highest chance of making a safe engine off landing. It is not a gurantee of walking away from the landing nor keeping the aircraft in one piece.
Can you survive an engine failure when you are in the avoid curve - Yes if luck and terrain are on your side.
Do you put yourself at higher risk of bending yourself/the aircraft following an engine failure if you operate in the avoid curve -yes.
Since judging the likely outcome of an engine failure is a very imprecise science at least the HV curve gives you somewhere to start.